GREENWOOD - Two late rallies by lLander came up just short as Young Harris swept a Peach Belt doubleheader Saturday.
GAME ONE
Saje Jones reached on an error and stole second with one out in the bottom of the first. She would later score on a sacrifice fly by Logan Coward to give Lander the lead. The Mountain Lions then used four home runs to score five unanswered runs over the next five innings to take a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
In the bottom of the seventh, Shannon Antonini drew a walk to lead off. With one out, pinch hitter Regan Lunsford laced a double off the leftfield wall to put runners at second and third. Gracie Lollis then blooped in a pinch-hit single to score Antonini. Bella Angeli followed with another pinch-hit RBI single to make it 5-3. A groundout by Abbie Behe would put runners at second and third with two outs. Logan Cowaed then reached on an error, allowing a run to score and make it a 5-4 game. The Bearcats couldn't get the tying run in as Young Harris took the game 5-4.
Saje Jones and Gracie Derrick each were 2-3 at the plate to lead the Bearcats. Taylor Scott (8-4) took the loss allowing five runs on eight hits and striking out four.
GAME TWO
After falling behind 1-0 after the top of the first, Lnader would put the first three runners on base in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Barbara Cook lifted a flyball over the shortstop's head to score Saje Jones and tie the game at one. The Mountain Lions answered with a run in the top of the second to regain the lead 2-1. Gracie Derrick singled to lead off the bottom half of the inning. After Naya Jones laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Derrick to second, Rylee Omahen singled up the middle to score Gracie and tied the game again at two.
The Mountain Lions would score a single run in the third and fourth inning and two more in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Abbie Behe doubled to right-centerfield and then scored on a two-run home run by Barbara Cook to cut the Lander deficit to 6-4.
Shannon Antonini and Derrick singled to lead off the sixth. A walk to Naya Jones would load the bases for Lander. With one out, pinch-hitter Olivia Veidt drew a walk to score Antonini and make it a one-run game. That would be all the Bearcats could get in the sixth. The Mountain Lions would scrape across a run in the top of the seventh to extend their lead back to two.
Down to their last at-bat, Lander would make it a one-run game with a lead-off home run by Cook. The Bearcats would get the tying run at third bases but could not get the runner in as Young Harris held on for the win.
Cook was 3-4 with two home runs, two runs scored, and four RBIs to lead the offense, while Derrick was 4-4 with a run scored. Bailey Pattison took the loss allowing six runs on ten hits in 4.2 innings of work.
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