GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Dylan Beck pitched four strong innings to secure his ninth save of the season to lead 11th-ranked Young Harris to a 7-3 road win at Tusculum Wednesday afternoon at Pioneer Park.
The Mountain Lions (33-9) record their eighth consecutive win and complete the season-sweep over the Pioneers (23-20).
Young Harris was held to just six hits, but four of them went for doubles as the Mountain Lions found a way to get aboard thanks to six walks, five hit batsmen and three Tusculum errors.
Beck overcame a shaky start in the sixth inning, giving up one unearned run. But then proceeded to retire the final 11 batters of the game while posting four strikeouts to close out the contest.
YHC put up two runs in the second inning as eight batters went to the plate but no hits were recorded. Young Harris took advantage of three walks and two hit batters to take a 2-0 lead.
Tusculum got a run in the bottom of the third as Luis Reyes singled, stole second and scored all the way from second on Omar Carreras‘ two-out, infield single.
The Mountain Lions answered with two runs in the fourth inning as Drew Bray, Jeremy Bogora and Ethan Stamps each recorded a double as YHC led 4-1.
Tusculum scratched off a run in the fifth as Reyes led off with a walk, stole his second base of the game and scored on Carreras’ RBI single. The Pioneers would get runners on the corners, but reliever Kaleb Perry posted a strikeout to end the threat and preserve the 4-2 advantage.
Beck took over on the mound in the sixth to start the inning. TU catcher Avery Collins lined a single to right field and advanced to second when Kayl Ratliff reached on an error. Reyes notched his second hit of the game with his base hit to center to load the bases. Collins would score an unearned run on Max Schmarder‘s fielder’s choice. But Beck would get a fly out to end the inning.
The Mountain Lions added three insurance runs in the seventh including a RBI single by Jace Wilson and sacrifice flies by Jarret Ford and Steve Spell as Young Harris led 7-3.
Perry picked up the victory to improve to 1-0 on the season while TU reliever Trejen Fox-Birdwell suffered the loss.
Reyes went 2-for-3 in the game and posted three stolen bases, while Carreras also had a two-hit outing and recorded two RBI.
Tusculum starting pitcher Drew Sliwinski pitched a scoreless first inning as he worked around a hit and a walk while posting a strikeout.
Jonathan Nelson shut out the Mountain Lions over his 2 2/3 innings on the mound while notching a pair of strikeouts. Luke Maicon pitched 2 1/3 shutout innings while Caid Sanders didn’t allow a run in his 1/3 innings on bump.
The Pioneers will close out the regular season with six straight road games beginning with this weekend’s three-game, non-conference series at Shorter University. The series will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday and conclude with Saturday’s noon doubleheader.
