Young Harris softball sweeps home doubleheader

Young Harris College collected 23 hits and scored in every inning but one as the sixth-ranked Mountain Lions claimed 14-0 and 12-1 home wins against Shaw University on Saturday, March 7, at E.D. Rivers Field.

Both games were decided in five innings.

The Mountain Lions improved to 15-3, while the Bears fell to 3-12. Young Harris will face Emmanuel (Ga.) College in a 2:30 p.m. home doubleheader Sunday, March 8.

In the opener, Haylie Shope tossed a no-hitter as she improved to 5-0 in the circle. She struck out seven and only allowed two runners to reach base, one via a walk and the other reached on an error.

Shope aided her own cause with an RBI double in the first before Carly Rigsbee broke the game open with a grand slam over the trees in center field to give the Mountain Lions a 6-0 lead an inning later. Morgan Curley’s two-run homer to center highlighted an eight-run fourth inning. Jill Torres, Shope, and Maddie Urquiola also had RBI hits.

Emily Harris, Curley, Michelin Bingham, Shope, and Biz Walters each collected two hits for YHC, while Rigsbee drove in four runs and Rigsbee knocked in two.

The Mountain Lions added three more long balls in game two. Shope stroked a two-run blast to left-center field in the first, while Torres deposited a two-run homer in the second over the center field wall. Rigsbee smacked a two-run homer to right in the third inning.

Curley, Torres and Shope each collected two hits. Rigsbee drove in four more runs, while Torres added three RBIs.

Sara King (4-1) earned the win in game two and struck out eight.