AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina softball team lost a pair of games to No. 7 North Georgia Sunday afternoon by scores of 6-0 and 6-1.

The Pacers fall to 24-16 overall and 8-10 against league foes. The Nighthawks improve to 43-6 on the year and 19-1 against conference competition.

Taylor Morgan was dominant in the early going, striking out two batters in the top of the first. She kept North Georgia off the scoreboard for the first three stanzas, but head coach Jerry Snyder's team was also kept scoreless.

The Nighthawks got on the board with three runs in the fourth inning, but USC Aiken had a chance to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the frame.

With one down, Sydney Murphy singled to left center field. Samantha Chubb singled to shortstop, putting runners on first and second. However, the Nighthawks managed to force back-to-back fly ball outs to end the threat.

North Georgia added two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth for a 6-0 edge.

Snyder's squad had a hit in the sixth but was unable to do anything with it. In the seventh, however, the Pacers made it interesting.

With two down, Morgan singled to the left side of the infield. Andrea Daring ripped a single down the left field line prior to Julianne Leduc reaching on a fielding error to load the bases. Karly Kinard came in as a pinch hitter and roped what looked to be a double down the line, but the third baseman was able to make a leaping catch, ending the game.

In the nightcap, the Nighthawks jumped on top with a solo homer in the first. Sarah Montei led off the bottom of the frame with a single and promptly stole second, but she was stranded in scoring position.

UNG scored a run in the second and third innings, but USC Aiken's defense stayed strong.

The Pacers tried to cut into the deficit in the fifth with one away. Kinard belted a double into the gap in left center field, but a pop-up and a strikeout ended the inning.

Although the Nighthawks scored a run in the sixth, a sensational play managed to get Katie Block trying to get back to first. After Block singled to left, Brielle Jungblut threw a dart towards home plate that was cut off by Chubb. She turned and fired the ball to Magan Thrower at first base, who tagged Block for the second out.

With one down in the top of the seventh, UNG's player earned a walk. A base runner strayed too far away from third base and Daring fired a ball to Chubb. In one quick motion, she managed to blindly tag the runner for the second out. The visitors added a pair of runs for a 6-0 margin.

Chandler Terrapin led off the seventh with a double into the gap. Taylor Allen came in as a pinch runner and moved to third on Kinard's single to center field. With one down, Daring lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, making it 6-1. USC Aiken had runners on first and second, but was unable to push across any more runs.
 
The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they travel to Montevallo in a make-up contest starting at 4 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.