THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas University softball team's winning streak has now reached nine games as they swept (RV) Georgia Gwinnett College this afternoon in a two game set.  In game one, the Lady Night Hawks defeated the Grizzlies 7-6 and then picked up the second victory of the day in a 4-3 thriller.
 
Game one was a unique experience for the Lady Night Hawks.  For the first time all season, the opposing team scored first in the opening inning to take the lead.  Previously, Thomas had plated the first run and opening lead in each game.  TU's starter Katie Lopes would work her way out of a first inning jam to halt Georgia Gwinnett's offense explosion at the beginning of the game.  After two scoreless innings of work, the Lady Night Hawks would respond in the bottom of the third to take the 4-1 lead.
 
Freshman second baseman Kayla Johnson led the inning off with a single up the middle.  Next, shortstop Lindsey Young would line a single to center to move Johnson to second.  Right fielder Alex VanWagner would then move both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt to down the first base line.  Then, Chandler Seay slapped a chopper to the pitcher that would score Johnson from third for the Lady Night Hawks' first run of the game.  On a 2-2 pitch from GAGW's starting pitcher, Ashley Beyke, catcher Michael Cooper would hit a bouncer to short that was mishandled allowing Young to score.
 
The rally continued in the inning on the next pitch from Beyke.  Third baseman Rachel Hoeft would connect with a two-out rise ball that she smashed to the right corner of the outfield fence.  Hoeft would slide in for a triple scoring Cooper for the third run of the game.  The scoring barrage continued when Carmen Nadal hit a double to the left-center gap to plate the fourth and final run of the inning giving the Lady Night Hawks the 4-1 advantage.
 
Georgia Gwinnett would cut Thomas' lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth before Aileen Fiallo would lead off the bottom frame of the inning with a solo shot over the left field fence to give the Hunter Green and White the 5-2 lead.  This blast was Fiallo's third of the season.
 
Down but not out, the Grizzlies would rally in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 5-5.   After the Lady Night Hawks were set down in order in the bottom portion of the inning, the game was forced into an international tie breaker.  At the beginning of each extra inning, the last batted out returns to second base as a leading runner. 
 
The Grizzlies would take the go-ahead lead, 6-5, in the top of the eighth when Abby Hulsey hit a seeing-eye single between Johnson and Nadal to shallow right field. 
 
The Lady Night Hawks responded in the bottom of the eighth.  Fiallo would head out to second as the leading runner for Thomas.  Johnson led the inning off with a grounder that would advance Fiallo to third.  Young then tied the ball game with a laser shot single to left field.  Three pitches later, VanWagner would move Young into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt down the first base line.  Young would advance to third on the next at bat when Seay beat out an infield grounder for a single.  With runners on the corners, Cooper stepped into the box.  On a 2-2 count, the catcher lined a chopper just over the outstretched arms of GAGW's shortstop to deliver the walk-off run to the plate for the 7-6 Lady Night Hawk victory.  Relief pitcher Ashley Sikes, who came on in the seventh, picked up the win while GAGW's Kayla Byrom suffered the loss.
 
Game two's action was business as normal for the Lady Night Hawks.  Thomas took the early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning and held that gap until the top of the fourth when the Grizzlies plated their first run of the second game.  The Lady Night Hawks would score the eventual winning run in the bottom of the fifth to extend their lead to 4-1.  Seay would reach on a six pitch walk and then would score on a double by Hoeft to the right-center gap.
 
Georgia Gwinnett refused to back out of the fight and started a rally when faced with their final three outs.  The Grizzlies would score two runs in the inning, but could not overcome the early four run deficit.  Junior Ashley Chapman came in to close out the game and pick up her third save of the season.  Sikes would pick up her second win of the day while GAGW's Katie Lange was credited with the loss.
 
"I'm proud of what our ladies did today," stated head coach Bill Wilson.  "They didn't let the early lead effect their focus, and they worked together and encouraged each other throughout the game.  Great wins today over a great team."
 
Thomas improves to 9-1 on the year while Georgia Gwinnett drops to 4-2.

The Lady Night Hawks return to action on Sunday, Feb. 22 when they host No. 4 Lindsey Wilson College in double header action.  First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. with game two following thirty minutes after the conclusion of the first contest.
 
A photo gallery from today's game can be accessed by clicking here.
 
For up-to-date information on these games and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU softball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksSoftb.