YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Mike Fitschen collected three hits and drove in two runs as Lander University took a 4-2 Peach Belt Conference baseball victory over Young Harris College Sunday (Feb. 18) afternoon at Zell B. Miller Field.

The Bearcats improved to 4-5 overall and to 1-2 in the Peach Belt as they salvaged the series finale, while the Mountain Lions fell to 5-5 and to 2-1. YHC will now travel to Hickory, North Carolina, for a 4 p.m. contest Tuesday (Feb. 20) against Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Lander took a 1-0 lead in the fourth as Nathan Schrenkengost led off the inning with a double to center off YHC starter Jake Lovvorn (0-1). Schrenkengost later scored on Fitschen's single to right-center.

The Bearcats added two runs on a Zach Moore single through the right side in the seventh to open up a 3-0 lead. Lander added a run an inning later on a Fitschen single to center.

The Mountain Lions rallied for a run in the bottom of the inning as Logan Worley drove home Corley Reynolds, who had reached on a fielding error, wer ith infield single.  The Bearcats wiggled out of further trouble as Lander starter Tripper Ergle (1-0) coaxed Brett Graczyk into an inning-ending double play.

After Jackson Jones and Rudy Gaona started the bottom of the ninth by working Ergle for back-to-back walks, reliever Joseph Whitt, who earned his first save, walked Bailey Campbell to load the bases. After getting the next batter to pop out, Reynolds was hit by a pitch to drive in Jones with the second run for the Mountain Lions. Whitt escaped further harm by retiring the next two YHC hitters on strikeouts.

Worley, Jones, Gaona and Skylor Murphy had a hit apiece for the Mountain Lions. Gaona's hit was a fourth inning double to right-center field.