YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Young Harris College scored twice in the bottom of the ninth as the Mountain Lions outasted No. 8 Columbus State University 9-8 in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Friday (March 31) afternoon at Zell B. Miller Field.
The Mountain Lions improved to 23-10 overall and to 13-6 in the Peach Belt, while the Cougars slumped to 24-7 and 11-5. The middle game of the three-game series will be Saturday (April 1) at 2 p.m.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:
- After Columbus State scored twice in the top of the first inning, the Mountain Lions reclaimed the lead with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. After Ethan Underwood reached on a single up the middle, Jarrett Ford smacked a two-run homer to left center. It was his second home run of 2023. Jeremy Begora collected his seventh long ball of the season with a solo shot to left-center field.
- The Mountain Lions added solo runs run in the second and fourth innings to push their lead out to 5-2. Ford drove in the run in the second on a ground out, while Underwood added a sacrifice fly to left in the fourth.
- The Cougars added single runs in the sixth and seventh runs to get within a run at 5-4.
- Young Harris made it 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh on a Steven Spell RBI single through the left side.
- Columbus State tied the game at 6 on two runs in the top of the eighth, but the Mountain Lions reclaimed the lead at 7-6 on Rome Wallace's leadoff homer to right field. It was Wallace's fourth home run of the year.
- The Cougars scored twice in the top of the ninth to take an 8-7 lead before the Mountain Lion rally in the bottom of the ninth.
- Spell started the rally with an one-out infield chopper and Begora walked. Marco Colina hit the ball back to the pitcher, but Leo Giannoni (1-1) threw the ball into center field as he was trying to start a potential inning-ending double play. That allowed Ahmir Cournier, who was pinch running for Spell, to score all the way from second base and tied the game at 8. Wallace loaded the bases after he was hit by a pitch. CSU reliever Peyton Burton hit Drew Bray on his first pitch to score Begora and give YHC the win.
- Six different Mountain Lions - Underwood, Ford, Spell, Begora, Colina and James Basham - each collected two hits each as Young Harris had 13 total hits.
- Reliever Ryan Cross (3-2) earned the win for Young Harris.
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