YOUNG HARRIS – The Young Harris College baseball team got a strong pitching performance in the opening game of a doubleheader by Josh Rudnik as the Mountain Lions took Game 1, 5-3, but fell in the second game, 4-2, to get a split with Saint Augustine’s College Saturday at Zell B. Miller Field.
Young Harris (4-8) opened the scoring in the first game as Zach Bricknell, who was 2-for-3, led off the bottom of the first with a double and scored on a groundout by David Atwood.
Saint Augustine’s (7-6) tied the game with a run in the top of the second and took advantage of a pair of Mountain Lion errors in the third to grab a 2-1 lead.
Young Harris answered in the bottom of the frame as Ryan LaRose, who went 2-for-3, led off the frame with a single to right-center and scored on a triple to the gap in right by Tommy Ferguson. Ferguson scored when Rudnik reached on an error to give the Mountain Lions a 3-2 advantage.
Young Harris added to the lead in the fourth as LaRose ripped a two-out single to right and advanced to third on a base hit up the middle by Mike Medori. Bricknell brought LaRose in on a single through the right side.
The Mountain Lions increased the lead with an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh as Adam Moore led off the inning with a double to left-center and moved the third on a wild pitch. He scored on a Jack Morrow sacrifice bunt to give YHC a 5-2 lead.
The Falcons got a run in the top of the seventh and threatened with two base runners, but Rudnik got the final out when Wayne Lewis was picked off at first to give YHC the 5-3 win.
Rudnik (1-2) pitched a complete game by surrendering three runs (two earned) on six hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts.
Alex Didio took the loss and fell to 1-3. He gave up five runs (four earned) on 10 hits with four strikeouts and a walk.
Much like the first game, Young Harris struck first in Game 2.
In the bottom of the first inning, Tommy Ferguson reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. Rudink crushed a 2-2 pitch over the left-center fence to give the Mountain Lions a 2-0 advantage.
The Falcons cut the deficit to 2-1 with a run in the fourth, tied the game in the fifth and plated two runs in the sixth to grab a 4-2 advantage.
Young Harris loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t push across any runs as Saint Augustine’s took the second game.
Taylor Topping started on the mound for the Mountain Lions, going four innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits with a pair of strikeouts and a walk. Tyler Isbell, Brice Merritt (0-2) and Oliver Pratt worked in relief.
Brandon Stewart (3-1) earned the win with a complete game. He surrendered two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk.
The Mountain Lions conclude the four-game series with the Falcons at noon on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Zell B. Miller Field. Visit http://yhcathletics.athleticsite.net/livestats/bb/xlive.htm for live stats of Saturday’s doubleheader.
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