YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Nate Reynolds' RBI single in the eighth inning gave LeMoyne College a 3-2 non-conference baseball victory over Young Harris College Monday (Feb. 17) afternoon at Zell B. Miller Field.
The Dolphins improved to 2-2 while the Mountain Lions fell to 5-5. Four of the five losses for Young Harris this season have been decided by a single run. Young Harris returns to action Wednesday (Feb. 19) when they travel to Central, S.C., for a 2 p.m. contest against Southern Wesleyan University.
LeMoyne jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as the Dolphins took advantage of two Young Harris errors to score two unearned run. Dylan Swetman drove in the first run on a single to center and Trey West added a run-scoring hit to center.
Young Harris tied the game at 2 after pushing across single runs in the sixth and seventh innings off LeMoyne starter Ryan O'Kane (1-0), who scattered five hits and struck out seven. David Atwood stroked a two-out RBI single to center in the sixth. Tom Valichka led off the seventh with a double to left-center and moved to third on a ground out by Trey Rogers. Pinch hitter Nick Sexton followed with a single back up the middle to drive in the tying run.
The Dolphins scored the deciding run off Taylor Topping (1-1), who only allowed three hits and struck out six in five innings of relief, in their next at bat. Swetman drew a one-out walk and Pat Wright followed by a single up the middle. A walk to West loaded the bases and Reynolds drove in the winning run with a single to right. Topping coaxed Max Nagelsmith to ground into a double play to get out of further damage.
Bobby Renaud earned his first save of 2014 with two scoreless innings of relief.
Josh Rudnik collected two hits for the Mountain Lions while Swetman and Wright each added two safeties for the LeMoyne.