FLORENCE, S.C. – Young Harris College and Francis Marion University split a Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader Friday (May 2) afternoon at Cormell Field at Sparrow Stadium.
The Mountain Lions banged out 17 hits and pitcher Travis Donahoo (2-3) allowed just two earned runs on five hits while tallying five strikeouts in eight innings as Young Harris claimed game one with a 7-2 decision. Spencer Jordan and Jeremy Hatfield combined on a five-hitter to lead Francis Marion to a 4-1 victory in the nightcap.
Young Harris, which are in the provisional year of the NCAA Division II three-year membership process and aren't eligible for next week's PBC Tournament, ended its season with a 25-25 overall record and a 13-17 ledger in the Peach Belt. The Patriots fell to 27-21 and 12-17.
The Mountain Lions opened a 2-0 lead in the second inning of the opener on Brett Westmoreland's two-run single down the left field line off FMU starter Brandon Stoots (2-2) after Dom Wyshinski singled and Trey Rogers doubled to start the rally. Wyshinski added an RBI with his fifth-inning ground out.
Zach Wall's RBI triple to center field in the eighth gave the Mountain Lions a 4-0 lead. Young Harris added three runs in the ninth on a triple by Jack Morrow, a Moore sacrifice fly, and a double by Rogers.
Every starter but one for the Mountain Lions had at least one hit. Josh Rudnik, Morrow and Wyshinski led the hit parade with three apiece while David Atwood, Rogers and Wall collected two each.
Jordan improved his record to 4-4 after pitching five innings for the Patriots in game two with two strikeouts. Hatfield earned his fifth save of the season by giving up just one hit in four innings of relief out of the bullpen. Young Harris starter Josh Rudnick (6-2) took the loss on the hill after giving up two earned runs on three hits in two innings of work.
Isaac Davenport gave the Patriots a 1-0 lead in the first inning by scoring on a wild pitch by Rudnick after a leadoff single and a stolen base. FMU pushed its lead to 2-0 on Nicholas McGee's RBI double that scored Connor Wessel in the bottom half of the second.
Young Harris cut the lead to 2-1 on a leadoff home run – his team-leading 11th of 2014 - by Jack Morrow to start the top of the sixth. The Mountain Lions threatened to take the lead later in the inning after loading the bases with just one out on a pair of doubles by Adam Moore and Rogers, and a walk to Tom Valichka. However, Hatfield was able to induce two infield pop-ups to work out of the jam and keep the lead intact.
FMU added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh inning after loading the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batter to take a 4-1 lead. Hatfield set the Mountain Lion hitters down 1-2-3 in the eighth and ninth innings to earn the save.
Rudnik led the Mountain Lions at the plate with two hits in the second game.
