BRISTOL, Tenn. | The Young Harris College softball team continued its strong stretch on Saturday, sweeping King University with a 5-3 win in game one and a 5-0 shutout in game two.
Julia Moore was the difference-maker across the doubleheader, earning a save in game one and tossing a complete-game shutout in game two to lead the Mountain Lions to the sweep.
Game One: Young Harris 5, King 3
Young Harris broke through in the fourth inning when Maddy Brady delivered an RBI single to plate Bailey Gossett for a 1-0 lead. King answered in the bottom half to tie the game, but the Mountain Lions responded with a three-run sixth inning to take control.
Brady struck again with an RBI single before Bailee Brown added a two-run single to extend the lead to 4-1. King cut it to 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth, but Shayla Pennington provided insurance in the seventh with an RBI single to make it 5-3.
Lilly Jones earned the win after throwing 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. Moore closed the door in dominant fashion, striking out four over the final 1.2 innings to secure her sixth save of the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
• Maddy Brady went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
• Bailee Brown recorded two RBIs on a key sixth-inning single.
• Gracie Hughes finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.
• Shayla Pennington added an RBI and scored a run.
• Julia Moore struck out four in 1.2 scoreless innings for the save.
Game Two: Young Harris 5, King 0
The Mountain Lions carried their momentum into game two, using steady offense and dominant pitching to complete the sweep.
Young Harris opened the scoring in the first on a sacrifice fly from Shelby Duncan before adding another run in the third on an RBI single from Bailee Brown. The Mountain Lions continued to add on, with Gracie Hughes driving in a run in the fifth and Mallory Clark and Brady each recording RBIs in the seventh.
Moore was outstanding in the circle, tossing a complete-game shutout while allowing just three hits and striking out eight to improve to 11-3 on the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
• Julia Moore threw a complete-game shutout with eight strikeouts.
• Maddy Brady went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
• Bailee Brown finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a triple.
• Shelby Duncan recorded two hits and drove in a run.
• Gracie Hughes added two hits and an RBI.
UP NEXT:
The Mountain Lions return to Conference Carolinas play as Young Harris looks to keep its momentum rolling versus Lees-McRae on Sunday (Mar. 29) afternoon.
