Spencer Mathis
Assistant Sports Information Director
The Young Harris College baseball team played in two DII Southeast Regional Championship games on Saturday (May 18) evening hosted by Catawba College. In game one, the Mountain Lions got out to an early 5-0 lead and stayed just ahead of UNC Pembroke for the rest of the game, winning 9-7 to advance to the tournament's final game. In game two, the Mountain Lions took on Catawba College again, and this time, the Indians stayed just ahead to claim victory and advance to the Super Regionals. The Mountain Lions historic season comes to a close, with their final record sitting at 41-15 overall.
QUOTING HEAD COACH STEPHEN WAGGENER:
"I am really proud of our guys today! They fought hard through another 18 innings of baseball. We came up a little short in the championship game and certainly had our opportunities to win. Our guys have a lot to be proud of! We look forward to following our graduating seniors as they move on and getting back to work with our returners."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
Game One Vs UNC Pembroke (9-7 W)
Freshman catcher Jack Enrico got the Mountain Lions party underway with an RBI double to put YHC ahead 1-0.
Jeremy Begora launched a two-run home run and Young Harris scored two more on a fielding error to start off the game with a 5-0 lead by the end of the first inning.
Will Hood hit a solo HR for UNC Pembroke to get within four runs of Young Harris in the third inning; Jace Wilson got the Mountain Lions ahead by five again in the bottom half of the inning, with an RBI double, scoring Marco Colina.
In the fourth inning, the Braves scored three runs off an RBI single by Jake Bradley and a two-run homerun from Will Hood, his second blast of the game.
YHC immediately responded with runs of their own to stretch their lead further with Jeremy Begora sending his second moon shot over the wall in center field to put the Mountain Lions ahead, 8-4.
In the fifth inning, the Mountain Lions scored their final run of the contest, as Begora recorded his fifth RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to put YHC ahead 9-4.
The Braves added a run in the sixth inning on a Hood RBI single, his fourth run batted in of the game.
The ninth inning began, with Young Harris holding a 9-5 lead over UNC Pembroke, and the Braves pushed until the end, with Joey Rezek hitting a two-run HR to get the Braves within two of YHC, but Mountain Lions starting pitcher Dylan Beck closed the door on Hinson Blake Hinson to end the game, winning 9-7 over the Braves.
Mountain Lions pitcher Dylan Beck pitched a complete game in the victory.
Game Two Vs Catawba College (6-4 L)
Catawba scored two runs in the first inning, with Bo Rusher recording a SAC fly, and Drew Robertson hitting an RBI double to put the Indians ahead 2-0.
Jeremy Begora hit an RBI double to get YHC within one run in the bottom of the first inning.
Levi Perrell and Sam Hunter each recorded an RBI knock for Catawba in the second inning to take a 4-1 lead over Young Harris.
Marco Colina got the Mountain Lions within one run of the Indians, with a two-run HR in the second inning.
Perrel drove in another run for Catawba with a single in the third inning to bolster the Indians lead; Dylan Driver drove in the sixth Catawba run in the same inning to take a 6-3 lead over Young Harris.
In the bottom of the third, Jack Enrico hit a home run to right center, and that would be the final run of the game and season for YHC.
The scoring stopped altogether at the end of the third inning, as Ryan Cross and Ryan Heishman had great outings in relief of starting pitcher Colby Williams.
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