YOUNG HARRIS, Ga.  |  Zavier Lushington homered twice and Tristin Smith hit a three-run homer as Young Harris College defeated Cedarville University 16-11 in a non-conference baseball game Thursday (Feb. 28) evening at Zell B. Miller Field. 

The Mountain Lions improved to 9-6, while the Yellow Jackets fell to 1-2. Young Harris hits the road for a weekend series in Pembroke, North Carolina, against the University of North Carolina at Pembroke that starts at 6 p.m. Friday (March 1) at Sammy Cox Field. 

Ross Melchior singled up the middle to open the scoring for a three-run first inning for Cedarville. Lushington put the Mountain Lions on the board in the bottom half of the first with a single to left field that scored Tucker Greer. Brett Hawkins came around to score on an error to cut the lead to one (3-2). 

The Yellow Jackets scored three in the second and two in the third in to take an 8-2 lead. Hawkins doubled home a run to start the scoring in the third inning for Young Harris. Lushington hit his fourth home run of the season to left field and Tucker hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring the Mountain Lions within three (8-5). Cedarville picked up a hair in the fifth inning for a 10-5 advantage. 

Smith hit a three-run homer over the fence in right center field to make it a 10-8 game in favor of the Yellow Jackets. Bailey Campbell tied the game for Young Harris in the bottom of the sixth with a RBI groundout that scored Cole Jackson.  Dahlton Cash scored the go-ahead run as he came around to score on a throwing error by Cedarville. 

Lushington capped off the scoring with a three-run homer to left center in the eighth inning for his second of the game and fifth of the season. 

Zach Burns (1-0) earned his first win of the season as he gave up one run on one hit with five walks and one strikeout in two innings pitched. Matt Rogers picked up his first save of the season as he faced 10 batters over three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out nine. 

Lushington finished 5-for-6 with five RBI and three runs scored, while Smith collected two hits, three RBI, and two runs scored. Hawkins had two hits, two runs scored, and one RBI. Cash went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, and one RBI. Tucker Greer and Bailey Campbell each had a RBI. 

Noah Schleinitz (0-1) earned the loss for the Yellow Jackets as he allowed three runs (one unearned) on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts in two innings pitched.