The Patriots improved to 17-9 overall and 8-5 in the Peach Belt while the Mountain Lions fell to 10-17 and 7-11. Young Harris steps out of league play Tuesday (March 24) for a 5 p.m. home contest against Brevard College.

Francis Marion took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third as the Patriots turned two YHC errors into two unearned runs. Young Harris tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the inning on Spencer Thomas' two-out double down the left field line.

 

The Patriots regained the lead in the fourth on a Zac Lenns double, but the Mountain Lions sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom half of the inning as Young Harris scored five times to open a 7-3 advantage. Jimmy Pinakidis connected on a two-run homer – his second of 2015 – just inside the right field fair pole. Nick Sexton followed with a solo shot to right-center field for his second long ball of the year. Thomas added an RBI single through the left side and the Mountain Lions added their final run on a fielding error by the Patriots.

 
Francis Marion responded with a four-run fifth. A RBI double just inside the left field line by Cole Morris and a sacrifice fly by Wessel made it 7-5 and the Patriots added run-scoring hits by Ryan Miller and Randy Loew to tie the game at 7.

 

Casey Clauss started the sixth by reaching on an infield single before Wessel hit the first pitch he saw from YHC starter Justin Cooper (3-3) over the left field fence to give FMU a 9-7 lead. It was Wessel first homer of the season.

 

Reliever Ty Simpson (1-0) earned the win for Francis Marion with 5.2 innings of relief.

 

Sexton led the Mountain Lions with four hits while Thomas and Pinakidis added two each. Thomas finished with three RBI while Pinakidis had two.

 

Matt Rubino led Francis Marion with three hits while Loew and Lenns had two apiece. Wessel drove in three runs while J.D. Crowe added two RBI.