Spencer Mathis
Assistant Sports Information Director
The Young Harris College baseball team played their final regular season series of the 2024 season and lost two of the three games against Belmont Abbey College on Saturday (Apr. 27) afternoon on the road. The Mountain Lions won an impressive 38 games in the regular season alone, setting a program record since becoming a DII institution. QUOTING HEAD COACH STEPHEN WAGGENER:"Today was a tough day. Alex Sniffin was really tough on the mound in game one. We had our chances in game two but just didn't get enough going offensively."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:Game One: Belmont Abbey 4, Young Harris 1 (7 innings)
The Mountain Lions failed to get much going in the first game of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader, recording just one hit the entire game, which came in the form of a Jarrett Ford home run that put YHC ahead 1-0 in the third inning.
The Crusaders tied the game in the fifth inning off a Garrett Browder HR.
BAC went on to score two more in the fifth, from an RBI single by Connor Powell, and a two-run double off the bat of Connor Tucker.
Niether team would score in the sixth inning, and YHC went scoreless in the top of the seventh inning, which ended the game.
Alex Sniffen pitched a complete game for the Crusaders, giving up just the solo HR by Ford, while striking out 12 Mountain Lions along the way, earning the win.
Dylan Beck surrendered four runs, struck out six Crusaders, but earned the loss to move to 7-2 overall this season.
Game Two: BAC 4, YHC 3 (9 innings)
The Mountain Lions leaped out to an early three-run lead, with Jack Enrico launching a two-run bomb in the first inning, and James Basham bringing in a run on a SF in the 2nd.
The Crusaders tied the game up in the second inning on a three-run HR by Ethan McLain.
With the score knotted up at three apiece in the bottom of the third inning, Carter DuHaime drove in what would eventually become the winning run on a base knock to right field to lead 4-3.
From the bottom of the third, and onward, five and a half innings of scoreless baseball were played, with both teams' pitchers not batting an eye.
Zach Hart earned the loss for YHC, surrendering four runs in three innings before being pulled. Ryan Cross was dominant in relief for the Mountain Lions, keeping YHC within reach, with five innings of scoreless relief on the mound.
Jake Craddock received the win for Belmont Abbey, pitching 5.2 innings of no-hit baseball in relief, with 4 K's.
UP NEXT:The Mountain Lions turn the page into the 2024 Conference Carolinas Tournament, where they will be the number two seed in the conference.
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