PBC YEARBOOK
Softball
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North Georgia Wins PBC Softball Tournament !
MILLEDGEVILLE , GA – Behind a complete-game two-hitter from tournament MVP Courtney Poole , the top-seeded North Georgia Nighthawks won the 2016 PBC softball tournament 8-0 over seventh-seeded USC Aiken on Saturday in Milledgeville . Georgia College served as host of the event .
The tournament title is the third in a row for North Georgia and sixth in the last eight years . The Nighthawks ( 50-6 ) also receive the PBC ’ s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament . USC Aiken ( 29-20 ) reached the championship game for the first time since 2009 and became the first seven seed to play in the championship game .
The two teams were scoreless through two but UNG broke through in the third on a solo home run from Hannah McSwain . Stephanie Hartness then singled with the bases empty , stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before being brought home on Meredith Heyer ’ s single . Heyer later scored herself on a Jessica Finch single .
The three runs was more than enough support for Poole ( W , 49-2 ), the reigning national player of the year and PBC Pitcher of the Year . Poole allowed only two hits in the contest , one in the second and another in the sixth . After throwing a no-hitter against Francis Marion in Friday ’ s quarterfinal , Poole completed the tournament with a 3-0 mark and eight hits allowed . In Saturday ’ s championship , she struck out nine and finished the game with only 70 pitches thrown .
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UNG added two more runs in the fifth as Heyer again drove in Hartness and Finch again drove in Heyer . UNG closed out the game with three more runs in the sixth as Heyer ’ s bases-loaded triple ended the game .
Taylor Morgan ( L , 17-13 ) took the loss for USC Aiken , going 2.2 innings . Sarah Montei and Magan Thrower had the two hits for the Pacers .
Heyer finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBIs for North Georgia . Hartness also went 3-for-4 with three runs scored while Finch was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs ..
Five PBC Softball Teams to Play in NCAA Tournament
Y E A R S
INDIANAPOLIS , IND – Five Peach Belt Conference softball teams learned on Monday morning that they will compete for a national championship as the NCAA released its tournament bracket from Indianapolis . North Georgia and Armstrong will each serve as hosts in the Southeast Region with play beginning on Thursday , March 5 . Georgia College , USC Aiken and Young Harris will also play in the tournament .
The five PBC teams in the region ties the conference record for the most league teams to advance . The PBC has sent five teams on four previous occasions , the last in 2012 .
The NCAA postseason appearance is the ninth consecutive for the Nighthawks and marks the seventh time the team has hosted a NCAA regional in the past eight seasons . Currently ranked fifth in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association ( NFCA ) NCAA Division
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