THOMASVILLE, Ga. — The Night Hawks soared to a 7–3 upset victory over Division II foe Edward Waters on Tuesday at Varnedoe Stadium.
Elias Garcia got things rolling in the bottom of the first inning, taking a pitch for the team.
Brayden Lawhon followed with a single, and
Noah Smith brought Garcia home with a single up the middle, advancing to second on a throwing error.
Carson Thomas then smashed a three-run homer to extend the early lead. The Night Hawks wrapped up the inning with a commanding 4–0 advantage.
In the third inning, Edward Waters broke through with Dannon Smith scoring from a miscue on third. The Night Hawks answered right back with two of their own. Smith crossed home plate thanks to a throwing error after
Gabe Tafelski's single, and Tafelski later scored on another miscue. By the end of the third, the Night Hawks led 6–1.
Edward Waters closed the gap in the fifth. Devon Williams, pinch running for Vladimir Blanco, scored on a sacrifice fly by Dannon Smith, followed by Jordan Smith scoring on Prieto's RBI single. Still, the Night Hawks held a 6–3 lead through five innings.
In the eighth,
Jackson Thomas added an insurance run on a wild pitch after reaching third, sealing the Night Hawks' scoring at 7–3.
On the mound,
Christian Maige kicked off the game for the Night Hawks, pitching 2.1 innings, allowing four hits and no earned runs while walking one.
Reece Holloway took over for 2.2 innings, giving up four hits and two earned runs, with a strikeout and a pickoff to his name.
Charlie Eidelman delivered a strong performance with two hitless innings, striking out one and keeping the scoreboard clean.
Nate Burnsed and
Ashton O'Quinn each pitched one inning, with Burnsed allowing no hits and recording a strikeout, while O'Quinn gave up a single hit but struck out one to keep Edward Waters scoreless.
Carson Thomas led the charge with a home run, three RBIs, and a run scored. Smith was a key contributor, scoring twice and adding two hits, including an RBI.
Braeden Callahan was solid, collecting two hits and recording four assists in the field. Tafelski chipped in with two hits, a walk, and a run scored to bolster the Night Hawks' efforts.
The Night Hawks evened their record at 17-16, with a 9-6 mark in conference play in a three way tie for fourth. Edward Waters stands at 18-16 and 14-7 in the conference.
Next up, the Night Hawks will take on Faulkner University (Ala.) at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, April 3, at Harrison Field in Montgomery, Alabama.
