YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – University of North Carolina at Pembroke scored eight runs over the final four innings as the Braves recorded an 8-0 Peach Belt Conference baseball shutout over Young Harris College Sunday (March 9) afternoon at Zell B. Miller Field.

UNC Pembroke improved to 17-5 overall and to 9-5 in the conference while the Mountain Lions fell to 9-13 and 1-8. Young Harris travels to Jefferson City, Tenn., for a 2 p.m. non-conference contest against Carson-Newman University Tuesday (March 11).

The two teams battled through five scoreless innings before UNC Pembroke struck for a run in the sixth inning off Young Harris reliever James Mills (2-2) on a single to left field by Jordan Edgerton, who went 2-for-5. Mills got out of further trouble as he made a nifty behind-the-back catch of a grounder that started an inning-ending double play.

The Mountain Lions had a chance to strike against UNCP starter Andy Sullivan (3-0) in their half of the sixth as Jack Morrow, Tom Valichka and Dom Wyshinski all singled to load the bases with an out, but Sullivan wiggled out of trouble by get the next two batters out. Young Harris, which also left the bases loaded in the eighth, banged out 11 hits, but left 12 runners on base.

The Braves added two runs each in the seventh and eighth innings before pushing across three runs in the ninth inning. Daniel Fraga led UNCP with three hits while Ben Schmucker, Zade Denton and Victor Zecca tallied two hits apiece. Denton drove in three runs while Zecca had two RBI.

Valichka and Spencer Thomas led the Mountain Lions with three hits while Morrow and Wyshinski added two more. Starter Josh Rudnik allowed one hit and struck out five in four innings for Young Harris.