YOUNG HARRIS – The Young Harris College baseball team capped the Chad Gassman Classic with a 17-3 rout of Indiana University of Pennsylvania as the Mountain Lions pounded out 19 hits, including five extra base hits, in a game called in the seventh inning because of the NCAA mercy rule on Tuesday at Zell B. Miller Field.
After getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first, YHC broke the scoreless tie in the bottom half of the inning as David Atwood belted his first homer of the season to deep left, giving the Mountain Lions a 1-0 lead.
Young Harris (14-9), winners of seven straight, exploded for seven runs on seven hits in the second inning to grab an 8-0 advantage.
Evan Carr, who went 4-for-4, opened the frame with a single up the middle and took second when Adam Moore walked. Both advanced a base as Tommy Ferguson, who was 1-for-4, had a sacrifice bunt. Trey Rogers, who went 2-for-2, followed with a bunt single as Carr scored. Moore came in to score on a wild pitch. Mike Medori walked and Zach Bricknell, who was 3-for-5, singled to right as Medori stopped at second and Rogers took third. Atwood, who went 3-for-5, singled to left to plate Rogers as Medori was out at third. Josh Rudnik, who went 2-for-4, doubled down the line in right to bring in Bricknell. Morrow followed with a base hit to right center as Atwood and Rudnik scored. Morrow came in to score when Carr singled up the middle, giving the Mountain Lions a commanding 8-0 advantage.
The Crimson Hawks cut the margin to 8-1 with a run in the top of the third inning. However, the Mountain Lions got a run back in the bottom of the frame to take a 9-1 lead.
The offensive onslaught continued in the fourth as Carr belted his second homer in as many days – a three-run shot down the right-field line - to extend the lead to 12-1.
IUP (4-6) trimmed the deficit to 12-3 with a pair of runs and took advantage of a Young Harris error in the top of the fifth.
The Mountain Lions put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fifth with four runs on four hits and took advantage of an error to take a 16-3 lead.
Young Harris added a run in the bottom of the seventh for the 17-3 advantage.
Rudnik (2-3) earned the win in pitching five innings. He gave up three runs (one earned) on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Nick Boutwell and Clint Ogle worked in relief.
Kyle Heane (0-2) started on the mound for IUP, lasting 3.0 innings. He surrendered 12 runs on 13 hits with a pair of walks and one strikeout. Branden Barnes and Connor O’Malley pitched in relief.
The Mountain Lions open a three-game series against Bloomsburg, 6:00 p.m., Friday, March 11 at Zell B. Miller Field. Go to http://yhcathletics.athleticsite.net/livestats/bb/xlive.htm for Live Stats.
FINAL STANDINGS IN THE CHAD GASSMAN CLASSIC: Young Harris – 5-0; Indian University of Pennsylvania - 2-4; Waldorf – 1-4.
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