MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | Young Harris College started its 2016 softball campaign with a sweep over Union (Tenn.) University Saturday (Jan. 30) on the first day of the Bobcat Kickoff Classic at the Peeler Complex on the Georgia College complex.
 
The Mountain Lions won the opener 10-1 and the nightcap 9-0. Due to the eight-run run, both games only lasted five innings.
 
With the sweep, Young Harris improved to 2-0 while Union falls to 0-2. The Mountain Lions wrap up competition at the Classic Sunday (Jan. 31) with a noon doubleheader against Queens (N.C) University.
 
In the opener, Darby Stanford (1-0) only allowed two hits and struck out three. The Mountain Lions got all the offense they would need in the second when Lindsay Tudor stroked a two-run double to center field off Union starter Hailey Cummings (0-1). Grace Botti, who drove in five runs, added a three-run homer an inning later as YHC scored four times. Botti added a two-run single in a four-run fourth inning for Young Harris.
 
Hannah Harrison led the Mountain Lions with three hits while Botti added two in the nine-hit Mountain Lion attack. Sarah Beth Marquis and Tudor drove in two runs each while Murphy Davis added one.
 
It was more of the same for Young Harris in game two. Mary Catherine Smith tossed a three-hitter and struck out two in the complete-game effort.
 
Offensively, the Mountain Lions collected 11 hits in the nightcap. Jeanie Perrucci went 4-for-4 and drove in two runs. Harrison and Sarah Magill each had two hits. Magill drove in two runs with her fifth-inning single that ended the game while Harrison added a run-scoring triple in the second. Botti led the Mountain Lions with 3 RBI on a bases-clearing double to center field in the fourth inning.