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YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Young Harris College and Armstrong State University split a Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader between two nationally ranked teams Saturday (April 2) afternoon at E.D. Rivers Field.
 
No. 19-ranked Armstrong State took the opener 3-2 over the Mountain Lions while No. 18-ranked Young Harris responded with a 5-4 victory in eight innings over the Pirates in the nightcap.

Young Harris honored its four seniors – infielder Sarah Magill, designated player Sarah Beth Marquis, pitcher Darby Stanford and infielder Lindsay Tudor – prior to the doubleheader as the group has helped the Mountain Lions to 106 wins over the past four seasons.

Young Harris improved to 28-10 overall and to 14-4 in the Peach Belt. The 14 league wins by the Mountain Lions equals the best total in the program's history. The Pirates slipped to 25-9 overall and to 9-3 in the league.

The Mountain Lions, who will play their final 10 games on the road, start their road trip with a 4 p.m. PBC doubleheader in Dahlonega, Georgia, against cross-mountain rival University of North Georgia. The Nighthawks, who are ranked No. 8 nationally, are the defending NCAA Division II champions.

Young Harris took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning in game two. Hannah Harrison blasted a solo home run to center field – her fourth of the year – despite the 28 mile per hour gusts blowing in from center field. Grace Botti added a sacrifice fly and took advantage of an Armstrong State error for the other.

The Pirates got one back in the four on an Autumn Parrish RBI single and added three more in the fifth to open a 4-3 lead. Macy Coleman drove in one run on a single and Ashley Sterritt was responsible for the other two on her single.

The Mountain Lions tied the game at 4 in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Marquis. It would stay that way until the bottom of the eighth. Rachel Benson started the decisive rally with a one-out double to center. Harrison's single up the middle put runners on the corner. After a walk to Jeanie Perrucci loaded the bases, Murphy Davis singled back up the middle to score Benson with the winning run.

Stanford, who got the decision in both games for the Mountain Lions, improved to 21-2 as she pitched the final 3 2/3 innings in relief. Morgan Duff (3-1) absorbed the loss for Armstrong State.

Harrison, Perrucci, Davis and Tudor each collected two hits apiece for the Mountain Lions.

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the third inning of the opener on a Jane Trzaska RBI single and pushed it to 3-0 on Logan Harrell's two-run homer – her fourth of the 2016 campaign – in the top of the seventh.

Young Harris took advantage of two Armstrong State errors in the bottom of the seventh to score twice, but Tori Bates (9-5) got Davis to foul out with the tying run on second base to end the game.

The Mountain Lions only mustered four hits in the opener as Davis, Magill, Botti and Tudor each had one.