YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Young Harris College got home runs from T.J. Byrd and Tyler Washington as the Mountain Lions swept a non-conference baseball doubleheader from the University of West Alabama Tuesday (April 23) afternoon at Zell B. Miller Field.

Byrd hit a solo home run in the opener as Young Harris won 2-1, while Washington smashed a homer as the Mountain Lions took the nightcap 3-1.

The doubleheader was part an Education Day that saw 350 children from Towns County and Hayesville MIddle Schools fill the stands as YHC improved to 31-16 on the year. The 31 wins are the second most in a season for the Mountain Lions, who are 10th in the latest NCBWA regional rankings, since becoming a four-year institution. The Tigers slipped to 22-19. Young Harris will close out its regular season with a three-game Peach Belt Conference series against the University of South Carolina-Aiken in Aiken, South Carolina, next weekend. First pitch for opener against the Pacers May 3 is 7 p.m.

West Alabama took advantage of a YHC error in the first inning in the opener to score an unearned run. The Mountain Lions tied the game at 1 as he led off the bottom of the sixth with a home to right field. It was his fourth long ball of the year.

Washington started the winning rally in the bottom of the seventh with an one-out single up the middle off UWA releiver Tanner Elders (3-6) and moved up to second base on a ground out by Corley Reynolds. Washington later scored as the West Alabama second baseman misplayed a grounder by Ethan Underwood. 

Cole Jackson had the other hit for the Mountain Lions in the opener.

Tucker Daniel (5-0) earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief. 

Young Harris jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first in game two. Byrd led off with a walk and stole second base. After Brett Hawkins was hit by a pitch, Zavier Lushington doubled to left field to score Byrd.

The Tigers tied the game as Wyatt Ball led off the second with a home run to left field.

The Mountain Lions retook the lead for good in the third. Lushington led off the inning by being hit by a pitch and moved to third on a Dahlton Cash double to right-center field. Lushington later scored on a wild pitch from UWA reliever Kolby Crowley (3-7).

Washington added an insurance run in the sixth when his second home run of 2019 careened off the front of the deck in right-center field.

Cameron Williams (6-4) earned the win with two innings of scoreless relief, while Matt Rogers earned his fourth save with 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out two.