HICKORY, N.C. | The No. 1-ranked Young Harris College softball team split their final two games of the Lenoir-Rhyne Invitational Sunday (March 1) afternoon at Bears Field.

The Mountain Lions (13-3) took the opener over No. 20 Lenoir-Rhyne University 13-4 in six innings before absorbing a 7-4 defeat to Lees-McRae College.

Young Harris will host North Greenville University in a 2 p.m. doubleheader Tuesday (March 3) at the YHC Softball Field.

YHC took a 1-0 lead as Maddie Urquiola led off the third inning with a homer to left field.

After Lenoir-Rhyne scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning, the Mountain Lions scored 12 runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings against the Bears to break the game open. Young Harris scored seven runs in the fourth inning as they took advantage of three L-R errors to open up an 8-3 lead. Urquiola added her second homer of the game with a two-run shot to left field and Biz Walters added a two-run single up the middle. Haylie Shope also drove in a run after being hit by a pitch.

Shope (4-0) earned the win with 3 1/3 innings of relief, allowing one unearned run while striking out five.

Morgan Curley and Urquiola led the Mountain Lions with three hits, while Walters collected two. Urquiola drove in three runs, while Emily Harris, Curley and Walters each drove in two runs. 

In the nightcap, Lees-McRae scored seven runs over the first three innings.

Young Harris got a run in the first inning on a Jill Torres single. The Mountain Lions collected three runs in the fourth on a Curley groundout, a Michalyn Bingham double to right-center field, and a Torres single up the middle.

Torres and Harris led the Mountain Lions with two hits.

Sam Davis (3-2) took the loss.