YOUNG HARRIS, Ga.  |  No. 18 Young Harris College defeated Benedict College 1-0 in game one of the YHC Softball Tournament before falling to Lenoir-Rhyne University 4-0 in the final game Saturday (March 2) evening at E.D. Rivers Field. 

The Mountain Lions improved to 11-5, while the Tigers fell to 6-6 and the Bears improved to 10-5. Young Harris returns to action Saturday (March 9) on the road in Banner Elk, North Carolina, for a 1 p.m. non-conference doubleheader against Lees-McRae College. 

Nikkie Kovalsky (9-4) retired the first six batters she faced for the Mountain Lions before allowing a leadoff single in the third inning. After allowing a walk the next at bat, Kovalsky set down the final 18 to end the game.

Grace Botti scored the lone run of the game with a solo home run to left center, her first of the season, in the fifth inning. 

Kovalsky picked up the win as she threw a complete game, allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out 13. 

Botti totaled one hit, one run, and a RBI. Morgan Curley went 2-for-2 at the plate, while Dara Moore, Jill Torres, and Kristan Lizardi each had one hit.

Marshallnae Bell (3-3) earned the loss for the Tigers as she allowed one run on seven hits with one walk and two strikeouts in six innings pitched. 

All four runs that Lenoir-Rhyne scored in the final game of the night came in the fifth inning that started with a RBI single to right field from Talon LaClair. Mackensi Swain hit a three-run homer to left field to give the Bears a 4-0 lead. 

Brandi Parks (7-2) picked up the win for Lenoir-Rhyne as she allowed four hits with four walks and three strikeouts in seven innings pitched. 

Kovalsky earned the loss as she gave up four runs on six hits with four walks and six strikeouts in five innings pitched. 

Curley tallied two hits, while Botti and Carly Rigsbee had one hit each.