AUGUSTA, Ga. | Augusta University starter Tristan Jones struck out 11 in seven innings as Augusta University took the opening game of its three-game Peach Belt Conference series against Young Harris College 16-8 Friday (March 4) evening at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
                     
The Jaguars improved to 12-5 overall and to 4-0 in the league while the Mountain Lions fell to 5-10 and 0-7. The middle game of the series is at 2 p.m. Saturday (March 6).
 
Young Harris took a 3-0 lead in the second. Zach Beggs led off with his fourth homer of the season to right field. The Mountain Lions took advantage of an Augusta error to add two more unearned run.
 
Augusta got a run back in the bottom of the inning and broke the game open with five runs in the third off YHC starter Jackson Winskie (0-1). The Jaguars added runs in the fourth through the seventh innings to take a 16-4 lead.
 
Young Harris added four runs in the ninth inning. Luke Miller and Zach Wall added run-scoring singles for the Mountain Lions while Nick Sexton stroked a RBI double to right. Beggs added a sacrifice fly.
 
Jones improved to 4-0 with the win.
 
Young Harris collected 12 hits. Miller, Sexton, Wall, Beggs and Triston Smith each accounted for two hits apiece. Miller and Beggs drove in two runs each.