YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Young Harris College collected 34 hits, including nine home runs as Young Harris College swept a Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader from Francis Marion University Friday (May 3) afternoon at Zell B. Miller Field.
Senior Zach Bricknell hit three home runs and drove in six runs as the Mountain Lions took the opener 9-4. Every starter had at least one hit and scored one run in Young Harris' 24-7 decision in the nightcap as the Mountain Lions connected on five home runs.
Young Harris, which ends their 2013 season Saturday (May 4) with a 4 p.m. home doubleheader against Toccoa Falls College, improved to 24-23 overall and to 10-19 in the Peach Belt while the Patriots fell to 26-18 and 18-11.
Bricknell, who leads the Peach Belt with 19 home runs, tied the opener at 2 when he led off the fourth with a home run to right. After Jack Morrow and Dom Wyshinski reach on walks in the fifth, Bricknell hit another homer to left field to give the Mountain Lions a 5-2 lead.
Francis Marion got two of the runs back in the sixth inning before Young Harris got three runs in its half. Bricknell drove in a run after he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before Adam Moore drove in two runs with one of his three doubles to take a 8-4 lead.
Bricknell closed out the scoring with a home run to center in the eighth to complete his first-ever three-homer game of his career. Bricknell became only the 11th player in conference history to homer three times in a PBC contest.
Morrow has two hits for Young Harris while Jarrod Reed, Isaac Davenport and Will Chandler, who drove in three runs, each accounted for two hits apiece for the Patriots.
Justin Cooper (3-5) earned the win while Cody Beck pitched the final four innings for his third save. Don Sandifer (5-5) took the loss for Francis Marion.
The Mountain Lions set a four-year record for runs scored with 24 in the nightcap as Young Harris scored in every inning except the second. The Mountain Lions batted around in two innings and just missed a third. The 24 hits in the nightcap are the second most in a game for Young Harris. The five homers – Trey Rogers, Morrow, Bricknell, Moore, and Tom Valichka - by the Mountain Lions also tied a YHC single-game high.
Valichka led the hit parade with five while Wyshinski had four. Rogers, Morrow and Bricknell each tallied three hits apiece. Wyshinski led the Mountain Lions with a career-high 6 RBI while Bricknell, is second in the Peach Belt with 63 RBI, and Morrow had each knocked in three.
James Mills (4-4) earned the win with 4 2/3 innings of relief while Jeffrey Stoner (4-3) took the loss for the Patriots.
