WINGATE, N.C. | Jackson Jones' two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth capped a 6-5 come-from-behind win as the No. 30 Young Harris College baseball team defeated Belmont Abbey College in an elminination game of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional No. 2 being played at Ron Christopher Stadium/Plyler Field.
The No. 7 seeded Mountain Lions improved to 39-18 and will advance to another elimination game Saturday (May 21) at 3 p.m. against the loser of the Wingate University-Columbus State University contest being played Friday (May 20) evening. The Crusaders, the No. 6 seed in the regional, ended their season at 34-19.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:
- Belmont Abbey had a 5-0 lead entering the bottom of the eighth after scoring three runs in the first inning and adding two more in the eighth.
- YHC began its comeback in the eighth as they scored twice. Ethan Underwood and Noah Fitzgerald started the rally with a back-to-back singles to put runners on the corner. Underwood scored on a throwing error as the Crusaders were trying to pick Fitzgerald off at first base. Fitzgerald later scored on a Rome Wallace sacrifice fly.
- Logan Worley started the ninth inning with a one-out single through the right side off Belmont Abbey reliever Nic Aehlert (2-1) and Underwood followed with a double to left-center field to put runners at second and third base.
- Fitzgerald followed with a single up the middle to score both Underwood and Worley and pull the Mountain Lions within a run at 5-4.
- The Mountain Lions were down to their final strike of the season before Jones sent a 1-2 pitch over the right field fence for the game-winning home run - his team-leading 16th of the season.
- Young Harris had 10 hits in the game with Underwood, Fitzgerald and Jones each with two. Jones, Aaron Copeland and Underwood each clubbed a double.
- YHC reliever Travis Burnette (4-1) retired the only two batters he faced in the top of the ninth.
- YHC starter McLain Harris recorded eight strikeouts in seven innings to bring his career strikeout mark to 279, which is one off the record held by Michael Livingston. With the seven innings, Harris has pitched in 100 innings, setting a new single-season mark for the Mountain Lions.
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