The University of North Georgia Nighthawks softball team won the program’s first ever national championship with a 5-0 win over Dixie State to claim the NCAA Division II 2015 Softball National Championship. The team, featuring former Fannin Lady Rebels’ stars, Alexis Collis and Candace “Blitzkrieg” German, in addition to the national title, set a school record with 54 wins against eight losses.The Nighthawks began rain on the Red Storm’s parade in the bottom of the second inning, scoring four runs on six hits. Jessica Finch led off with a single that was followed by another single from Katie Block, after Hannah McSwain was brought in to pinch for Finch.

Meredith Heyer hit a two run left field single that scored Block and McSwain. Meagan May’s two out RBI bunt scored Heyer to put the Nighthawks up 3-0. Tiffanie Burns burned the Red Storm with an RBI bunt that scored May and increased the lead to 4-0.

The last run of the game was scored in the fifth when Collis scored on a Heyer RBI double.

Starting pitcher, Courtney Poole, the National Pitcher of the Year (47-4), pitched a full game shut-out, giving up only two hits and striking out four.