YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Young Harris College senior pitcher Michael Livingston struck out a college record (NCAA era) 15 as the Mountain Lions opened up their Peach Belt Conference baseball schedule with a 13-0 shutout over Lander University Friday (Feb. 16) evening at Zell B. Miller Field.

The Mountain Lions improved to 4-4 overall and to 1-0 in the Peach Belt, while the Bearcats fell to 3-4 and 0-1. The two teams will play the middle game of their three-game series at 2 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 17).

Livingston (1-0) allowed just three hits and walked three, while striking out 15 (seven looking) in seven innings. Livingston's previous career high of 11 strikeouts came last season against Lander.  Livingston eclipsed the previous record (NCAA era) of 12 set by Adam Moore back in 2011 against Atlanta Christian College during the 2011 season.  Livingston only allowed one Lander runner to reach second base - a sixth inning two-out double by Nathan Schreckengost. 

Livingston and reliever Matt Rogers combined for the first shutout of the season by the Mountain Lions. Rogers allowed a hit and struck out four in two innings. The 19 strikeouts tallied by the Mountain Lions also set a new college record (NCAA era), surpassing the previous record of 13 that came against King (Tenn.) University during 2012.

Young Harris got all the runs they needed in the second inning as they sent 11 to the plate and scored seven runs on six hits against Lander starter Chris Sheehan (0-2). After Bailey Campbell reached on a throwing error, six of the next seven batters collected hits. Corley Reynolds, Zavier Lushington, and Logan Worley each had a RBI single as the Mountain Lions took a 3-0 lead. Brett Graczyk added a two run single up the middle and Jackson Jones drilled a two-run double to left to give YHC a 7-0 lead,

The Mountain Lions, who had 13 hits, added four runs in the fifth. Cory Ewald had an RBI single down the left field line and Reynolds drove in two more on a single to right-center field. The final run was driven in by Worley on his infield single. Young Harris added two more runs in the seventh on Tristin Smith's pinch-hit home run - his first of the year - over the left field fence.

Worley, Ewald and Reynolds led Young Harris with two hits apiece. Reynolds finished with 3 RBI, while Worley, Gracyzk, Jones and Smith drove in two runs each.