MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The Young Harris College Baseball team lost the third and final game of the three-game series against the University of Montevallo (3-2) by a score of 3-2 on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Kermit A. Johnson Field.

The game featured brilliant pitching by both squads, as Young Harris’s Josh Rudnik carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and Montevallo pitcher Will Dismukes tossed a complete game for the Falcons.

With Young Harris (0-3) up 2-0 entering the seventh, Montevallo was able to push three runs across, which proved to be enough for Dismukes, as he allowed two runs and struck out seven in the complete game effort.

The Mountain Lions were the first to break the scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning when Tommy Ferguson (2-for-4) scored on a double by Zach Bricknell (1-for-4, RBI). One batter later, Bricknell would score on an RBI single by Jack Morrow (1-for-4, RBI) to right centerfield, increasing the lead to 2-0.

In the bottom of the seventh with the score still 2-0, Falcon first baseman Heath Peterson smacked an offering from Rudnik off the left-centerfield fence, ending Rudnik’s bid for a no-hitter. Rudnik’s shutout bid would end when Falcon catcher Blaine Rosenberg lifted a fly ball to centerfield for a sacrifice fly to cut the Young Harris lead to 2-1. With two outs and two runners on base, Falcon shortstop Pablo Martell drove a Rudnik fastball into right field for a two-run double to make it 3-2. That would be all the run support Dismukes would need as he held the Mountain Lions scoreless over the final two frames to preserve the win.

“I thought our team improved each game over the course of the series,” Young Harris head coach Rick Robinson said after the Sunday loss. “We are going to continue to work hard in practice to improve in the different areas of the game where we must get better.”

Rudnik took the hard-luck loss for Young Harris, going 6.2 innings, allowing three runs (all earned), on three hits, with one walk and no strikeouts. The sophomore right-hander induced 17 ground ball outs throughout the afternoon. Right-hander Tyler Isbell was effective out of the bullpen following Rudnik, as he hurled 1.1 scoreless innings for the Mountain Lions.

Game note: The pitcher’s duel between Young Harris and the University of Montevallo lasted only 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The Mountain Lions will look for their first win of the season as they resume action on Friday, Feb. 11, in the opener of a four-game series against Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C. The live stats will be available at http://abbeyathletics.athleticsite.net/livestats/bb/xlive.htm

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