YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – The Lander baseball team surrendered seven runs in the second inning and managed just four hits at the plate as Young Harris jumped all over the Bearcats early and defeated Lander 13-0 in the Peach Belt Conference opener for both teams on Friday night.

Young Harris (4-4, 1-0 PBC) struck out 19 Bearcat batters, led by Michael Livingston (1-0), who earned the win on the mound by tossing 7.0 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts, three walks and three hits. Lander's (3-4, 0-1 PBC) 19 strikeouts tied a program-high. 

Lander fell in an early hole as the Mountain Lions sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning, scoring seven runs on six hits. The Bearcat deficit grew to 11-0 in the fifth inning as Young Harris chased starter Chris Sheehan (0-2), who allowed nine earned runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 4.2 innings. 

Livingston kept the Bearcat offense stymied throughout the night, as Lander did not put a runner in scoring position until a two-out double from Nathan Schreckengost in the sixth inning. 

The hits kept coming for Young Harris in the seventh inning and the Mountain Lions added two runs against Bearcat reliever Justin Wager. 

Matt Rogers relieved Livingston in the eighth inning and struck out four batters over the final 2.0 innings to end the night.

Lander and Young Harris will return to action Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.