After a weekend off, Young Harris College had all its top pitchers available to face the Lee University baseball team on a near perfect Tuesday afternoon at Larry Carpenter Stadium. The Mountain Lions held the Flames to only five hits and featured six timely hits in scoring a 7-0 victory over Lee. The win improved Young Harris to 17-8 overall while the Flames dropped to 13-14.
Coach Mark Brew will regroup his team and send them back into Gulf South Conference action this weekend as they travel to Memphis for a three-game series against Christian Brothers University.
The series is scheduled to open with a single game on Friday at 3 p.m. A doubleheader will follow on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
The Mountain Lions broke open a scoreless game in the top of the fourth inning. Luke Hatcher was hit by a pitch and Kade Smallwood drilled a pitch over the right-field wall to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
The margin reached 5-0 in the seventh inning. It started with a free pass to Drew Bray. Jonathan Smith collected a one-base hit and Hatcher drove home two runs with a double. Smallwood collected his third RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to center. Bray got into the RBI act in the top of the eighth. Carlos Martans drew a walk and later scored on the one-base knock by Bray to make it 6-0. The second homerun of the afternoon pushed the final total 7-0 contest and it came in the top of the ninth when Hatcher ripped a homer over the left-field fence.
JJ Williams had a double and a single to lead Lee’s hitting attack. He doubled in the first inning and stole third but was left stranded after three straight Flames went down on strikes. Brock Sisson was the only other Lee player with two hits. He had one-base hits in the second and seventh innings. Josiah Miller came on as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning and posted Lee’s other hit. Seven Flames walked and eight were left on base.
The Mountain Lions used five pitchers and Austin Ritchie (5-1) worked three innings and was credited with the win. All five Young Harris pitchers gave up one hit each. They struck out eight hitters and issued only two walks.
The Flames in an effort to conserve pitching for the series with Christian Brothers used five young hurlers. Zachary Lawson (0-2) started and was charged with the loss. He pitched 3.1 frames and gave up one hit and two earned runs, walking three and striking out three.
Seth Parker came on for 1.2 innings. He did not give up a hit or free pass and fanned two. Matthew Delph followed for 1.1 innings. The lefty allowed three hits and three earned runs. David White toed the rubber for 1.1 frames. He gave up a hit and an earned run, walking two and striking out one. Evan Bloomer was called on for the final 1.1 innings. He allowed a hit and a run.