The University of North Georgia Softball season has come to an end in the first round of the NCAA DII Softball National Championship. The Nighthawks lost in the win or go home game Saturday to Western Washington University 3-0.
In the game, UNG struggled offensively, only picking two hits the entire day. The first hit came from Natalie Ray in the bottom of the first and the second one came from Marycille Brumby in the bottom of the fifth. Western Washington started off the game with a hit from Kanilehua Pitoy, but resulted in nothing as the next two batters flew out.
Both teams would go through a defensive battle over the next couple of innings without recording a hit. In the fourth, Hailey Rath hit a leadoff solo home run for Western Washington. It was all WWU from there.
The Vikings would pick up at least one hit in two of the final three innings. In the seventh, Laila Carpenter hit a triple into left field. Maleah Andrews then doubled which doubled the lead for the Vikings. Kanilehua Pitoy singled, adding one more run of insurance to Western Washington’s lead as they took a 3-0 lead that ended up being the final score.
In the bottom of the seventh, Carleigh Knowles reached first off a Viking throwing error. Rylie Moody then reached base, but Knowles was tagged out in the process. Tagen Levao-Maisonet was the final Nighthawk up to bat as she flew out to center field.
“Hits dropping and ricocheting off other people, letting it find the gap, you know, the game’s not fair. I mean, the game’s hard, and it’s challenging, and you can’t forget what’s going to happen. I think each player did the best they could and trying to make adjustments and play the game. The way that we play it and today just didn’t go our way and I thought everybody fought hard.” – Brooke O’Hair, UNG Softball head coach
UNG ends their season winning over 40 games for a fifth consecutive season and was able to make it back to the National Championship after missing it a year prior. It was an impressive year for first year head coach Brooke O’Hair, who was able to get the best out of a mostly new roster. In 2024, 10 seniors left the team and previous head coach Mike Davenport left in September, well into the softball offseason.
“Our coach obviously left us early on in the season. Like, we lost ten seniors last year. We had so many new faces this year, plus coach O’Hair and Darren, they come in, like, out of nowhere. You know, we didn’t know if we were getting a coach. It was a culture shock for them as well. It was just a very chaotic fall and I feel like with a group of girls like these, it is very hard to keep those emotions down and get everybody back on track,” said senior Rylie Moody.
The Nighthawks were able to produce three Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) players, Freshman Carleigh Knowles and Junior Natalie Ray made first team while Junior Sydnee Reaves made second team.
Knowles also won the 2025 NFCA DII Freshman Player of the Year award. She also set the UNG Softball home run record in a single season, hitting 21 home runs in only her freshman campaign.
Unlike last year, there will only be three players graduating in pitcher Angelina Badalament, catcher Saydee Johnson, and shortstop Rylie Moody.
“Before the start of the spring season, one of the main things that I wanted to see was people stepping up and creating a name for themselves. Also, becoming a family, having a culture, people loving each other and taking care of each other. If you look back in previous seasons, then look at this season, you see all new names and what a job they did individually and as a team,” said O’Hair.
UNG will look to capitalize off the success of this season and apply it to next year when they take the field again in February.
