THOMASVILLE, Ga. — In a tough Friday afternoon at Armory Field, the Night Hawks faced the University of Tennessee Southern twice, resulting in a narrow 3–2 loss in the first game followed by a challenging 8-0 defeat in the second matchup.
Thomas 2, UT Southern 3 - (9 Innings)
In a tight contest, the Night Hawks managed nine hits, with a two-run burst in the fourth inning contributing to their scoring. The Firehawks struck first when Lauren Pettie scored on an Emory Hall double in the second inning, giving them an early 1-0 advantage.
The Night Hawks rallied in the fourth.
Ava Nunez doubled, setting the stage for
Alexis Adams, who singled. Nunez crossed home plate on a fielder's choice by
Baileigh Herrera, followed by Adams scoring on another fielder's choice, this time by
Cameron Clontz. At the end of the fourth, the Night Hawks led 2-1.
Tennessee Southern evened the score in the fifth when Alaina Grace King scored on a sacrifice fly by Carley Cook, making it 2-2. The decisive moment came in the ninth when Ella Singletary scored on a Mikayla McCain single. Despite a late push, the Night Hawks couldn't bring in another run.
Herrera showed grit on the mound, pitching a full 9 innings. She allowed three earned runs on 10 hits, striking out three and walking just two. Facing 43 batters, Herrera demonstrated impressive control, with 86 of her 140 pitches hitting the strike zone, inducing 11 fly outs and 13 ground outs.
Hodges made her mark with two hits, including a double, in five at-bats. Nunez scored a run and hit a double. Adams also had two hits and a run. Herrera, in addition to her pitching effort, added an RBI at the plate.
Thomas 0, UT Southern 8 - (5 Innings)
The second game proved to be more challenging for the Night Hawks, as they fell to Tennessee Southern.
Tennessee Southern took charge early, scoring in the first inning when Haley McDaniel advanced to third and came home on a throw. Hodges gave Thomas a glimmer of hope with a single and a stolen base, but the Night Hawks couldn't break through, leaving the inning trailing 1-0.
The second inning saw Tennessee Southern stretch their lead pushing the score to 3-0. In the fourth inning, Tennessee Southern added three more runs. The fifth inning sealed it for Tennessee Southern, as they capitalized on a throwing error to add two unearned runs, cementing their lead at 8-0. The Night Hawks loaded the bases in their half but couldn't bring anyone home.
Clontz pitched three innings with a start in the circle.
Maggie Stubbs pitched 1.2 innings.
Taylor Young made a brief appearance, pitching 0.1 inning retiring the only batter she faced on a groundout.
Hodges added to the effort with a hit, a stolen base, and a walk. Adams contributed a hit, while
Katelyn Shiver drew two walks, achieving a perfect on-base percentage of 1.000.
Looking ahead, Thomas will face another conference doubleheader against RV Blue Mountain Christian on Saturday, March 28, at Armory Field in Thomasville, Georgia, with the game set to start at 1 p.m.
