Young Harris bats sizzle in doubleheader sweep
Sports, TeamFYNSports, YHC Softball March 12, 2020
Young Harris College collected 29 hits as the sixth-ranked Mountain Lions swept a softball non-conference doubleheader from No. 25 University of Alabama in Huntsville at Bob Jones High School Wednesday afternoon, March 11.
The Mountain Lions won the opener 12-11 before scoring 10 unanswered runs in the nightcap to take a 10-3 win.
Young Harris improved to 19-3, while the Chargers fell to 15-8. Young Harris opens its Peach Belt Conference schedule Saturday, March 14, when they face the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at E.D. Rivers Field.
Maddie Urquiola
In the opener, the Mountain Lions scored five times in the second inning to take a 5-2 lead. Maddie Urquiola drove in the first run with a bases-loaded walk before Emily Harris drove in another with a single through the left side. Morgan Curley drew a bases-loaded walk before Carly Rigsbee drove in the final two runs with a single to right-center,
The Chargers battled back to take a 6-5 lead in the third, but YHC put up a four spot in the fourth inning to take a 9-6 lead. Haylie Shope drove in the first two runs on a double to center before Katelynn Hodges and Urquiola had run-scoring hits.
Jill Torres gave the Mountain Lions a 12-6 lead an inning later when she smacked a three-run homer to left field. It was her third long ball of the season. UAH got five runs back in the bottom half of the inning to get within a run at 12-11.
Shope (8-0) earned the win in the circle, while Sam Davis pitched three scoreless innings to earn her first save.
Jill Torres drove in six runs Sunday.
Torres led the Mountain Lions’ 13-hit attack with three hits, while Harris, Michelin Bingham, and Hodges had two hits each.
UAH jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning of game two. The Mountain Lions got two of the runs back in the third as Curley had an RBI double to left-center field and Rigsbee drove in a run on a ground out.
The Mountain Lions broke the game open with a five-run fourth inning to take a 7-3 lead. Urquiola started the rally with a three-run homer to left-center field and Bingham and Torres added RBI singles. It was the team-leading sixth homer for Urquiola in 2020.
YHC added three insurance runs in the sixth. Bingham smacked a two-run homer – her fourth of the campaign – to center and Hodges drove in the final run with a double to right-center field.
Sam King (5-1) collected the win in the circle as she struck out five in six innings.
The YHC offense had 16 hits. Harris and Bingham led the way with three hits, while Rigsbee, Torres and Hodges added two hits apiece.
To view the full Young Harris softball schedule, click here.
Photos courtesy of Young Harris College.
YHC lacrosse’s Meyers, Valvo honored by GSC
Sports, TeamFYNSports, YHC Lacrosse March 11, 2020
Young Harris College women’s lacrosse players Maddy Meyers and Aubrie Valvo earned weekly honors from the Gulf South Conference.
Maddy Meyers
Aubrie Valvo
For the second week in a row, Myers was honored as the league’s Defensive Player of the Week, while Valvo was selected as the GSC’s Freshman of the Week.
Meyers, a freshman goalie from Marietta, Georgia, had 18 saves in goal for the Mountain Lions in a 16-11 win over Catawba College. She also had four ground balls.
Valvo, a freshman midfielder from Kennesaw, Georgia, had four goals and an assist in the win over Catawba. Her four goals were part of an 8-0 run by the Mountain Lions at the start of the second half that saw YHC overcome a 5-2 deficit at halftime. She also scooped up two ground balls in the victory.
YHC women’s lacrosse falls 13-12 at Lenoir-Ryne
Sports, TeamFYNSports, YHC Lacrosse March 10, 2020
Alyssa Sack scored six goals, including the game-winner, as Lenoir-Ryne University rallied for a 13-12 women’s lacrosse victory against Young Harris College on Monday evening, March 9, at Moretz Stadium in Hickory, N.C.
The Bears improved to 4-2, while the Mountain Lions fell to 3-4. Young Harris lacrosse returns to action Wednesday, March 11, at noon as they face Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C.
Sierra Haas scored three goals Monday.
Lenoir-Rhyne opened up a 6-3 lead midway through the first half before the Mountain Lions stormed back to tie the game at six with 9:51 remaining as Taylor Greenberg sandwiched a Channing Milford strike with two goals.
The Bears got the next two goals before Young Harris closed out the first half with four unanswered goals – including the final three from Sierra Haas – to take a 10-8 lead into halftime.
Taylor Greenberg scored twice Monday.
However, Lenoir-Rhyne opened the second half with four consecutive goals, including the last two by Sack, to take a 12-10 lead with 18:35 to play. Milford scored three minutes later to pull the Mountain Lions within one at 12-11. The Bears added an insurance goal from Cathleen Gaffney at the 13:00 mark to regain the two-goal advantage. Mary Deatrick scored a man-up goal with 7:08 left to get YHC within 13-12, but the Mountain Lions were unable to get another goal in the back of the net.
Haas led Young Harris with three goals, while Greenberg, Deatrick and Milford each scored twice. Luckie, Leigh Anne Turner, and Belle Hardwick each tallied a goal. Deatrick and Milford led YHC with two asssists apiece. Haas and Aubrie Valvo had one assist each.
Maddy Meyers led the Mountain Lions with four ground balls, while Deatrick, Luckie and Valvo paced YHC with three draw controls each. Meyers turned away 11 shots in the Young Harris goal.
Photos courtesy of Young Harris College.
Young Harris softball sweeps doubleheader
Sports, TeamFYNSports, YHC Softball March 9, 2020
Haylie Shope picked up two wins and Jill Torres drove in six runs as the sixth-ranked Young Harris College softball team swept a doubleheader from Emmanuel (Ga.) College on Sunday afternoon, March 8, at E.D. Rivers Field.
Haylie Shope picked up two wins Sunday.
The Mountain Lions improved to 17-3, while the Lions fell to 9-9. Young Harris travels to Huntsville, Alabama, Wednesday, March 11, for a 1 p.m. Central time doubleheader against the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
In the opener, Shope (7-0) tossed her second no-hitter in as many days as Young Harris won the first game 8-0 in five innings. Torres’ bases-clearing double down the right field line in the bottom of the sixth helped the Mountain Lions rally for a 6-4 decision.
Young Harris broke open the first game with a five-run third inning. Morgan Curley and Carly Rigsbee had RBI singles, while Michalyn Bingham drove in a run with ground out. Torres then added a two-run homer to right field to give YHC a 5-0 lead.
Jill Torres drove in six runs Sunday.
The Mountain Lions added three runs in the fourth to make it 8-0. Torres added a sacrifice fly and Biz Walters drove in another run with a single.
Rigsbee and Shope each led the Mountain Lions with two hits. Shope didn’t allow a hit in five innings as she struck out four while walking two.
In the second game, Emmanuel took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth before the Mountain Lions got a run back in the bottom half of the inning as Walter drove in a run with an infield hit.
An inning later, Emily Harris and Curley each singled and Bingham reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases before Torres blooped a double just inside the right field line that cleared the bases and gave Young Harris a 6-4 lead.
Walters led YHC with three hits, while Harris, Curley and Maddie Urquiola collected two apiece. Urquiola also drove in two runs.
Shope recorded the final four outs to get the win in relief.
Young Harris men’s tennis beaten by Bellarmine
Sports, TeamFYNSports, YHC Tennis March 7, 2020
Bellarmine University held off Young Harris College 4-3 in a non-conference men’s tennis match Friday afternoon, March 6, at the Bob & Gayle Nichols Tennis Complex.
Romeo Luque
Kash Reddiyar
The Knights improved to 5-3, while the Mountain Lions fell to 5-4. Young Harris hosts Southern Wesleyan University in a noon match Saturday, March 7.
Bellarmine captured the doubles point, but YHC’s Kash Reddiyar and Romero Luque teamed up for a 7-6 (6) win at the third flight.
The teams split the six singles matches. Reddiyar registered a 4-6, 7-5 and 1-0 (10-7) win at No. 1, while Luque won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 5. John Brett also claimed a 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 6.
Young Harris women’s tennis falls to Bellarmine
Sports, TeamFYNSports, YHC Tennis March 7, 2020
Bellarmine University recorded a 5-2 non-conference women’s tennis victory against Young Harris College on Friday, March 6, at the Bob & Gayle Nichols Tennis Complex.
Carol Quevedo
Jing Dong
The Knights improved to 9-0, while the Mountain Lions fell to 5-6. Young Harris will host Southern Wesleyan University in a noon match Saturday, March 7.
Bellarmine took the doubles points, but Ana Rodriguez and Juli Boerr took a 6-2 victory in the second flight.
Carol Quevedo and Jing Dong each recorded wins in singles.
Quevedo claimed a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 2, while Dong outlasted her opponent at No. 3 singles with a 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (3).
Mountain Lions women’s lacrosse defeats Catawba College
Sports, TeamFYNSports, YHC Lacrosse March 7, 2020
Young Harris College scored 14 goals in the second half as the Mountain Lions rallied for a 16-11 non-conference women’s lacrosse victory against Catawba College on Friday, March 6, at the YHC Soccer and Lacrosse Field.
Taylor Greenberg scored four goals for YHC.
The Mountain Lions leveled their record at 3-3, while the Indians fell to 1-5. Young Harris travels to Hickory, North Carolina, Monday, March 9, for a 5 p.m. match against Lenoir-Rhyne University.
With Catawba holding a 5-2 halftime lead, Young Harris came out and scored eighth consecutive goals to start the second half and 10 of the first 11 goals to open up a 12-6 margin. Aubrie Valvo scored four of the first eight YHC goals, while Taylor Greenberg added two. Belle Hardwick and Anna Luckie each scored during the YHC onslaught.
Aubrie Valvo scored four goals for YHC.
Valvo and Greenberg led the Mountain Lions with four goals apiece, while Channing Milford added two. Mary Deatrick, Ansley Coles, Hardwick, Luckie, Kelsey Dover, and Sierra Haas had one goal each. Milford led YHC with three assists, while Deatrick added two. Coles, Hardwick, Leigh Anne Turner and Valvo added an assist.
Young Harris outshot Catawba 43-35 and held a 20-8 cushion in draw controls. Each team scooped up 25 ground balls.
Deatrick led the way with 10 draw controls, while Milford claimed seven and Deatrick had three. Maddy Meyers, Luckie and Milford had four ground balls for the Mountain Lions.
Meyers registered 18 saves in goal for Young Harris.
YHC’s Huffman, White honored at Peach Belt awards
Sports, TeamFYNSports, YHC Basketball March 7, 2020
Young Harris College women’s basketball’s Lindsey Huffman and Niaya White were honored by the Peach Belt Conference at its basketball tournament banquet Friday evening, March 6.
Lindsey Huffman
Huffman was named the Peach Belt Coach of the Year, while White was selected to the All-PBC third team.
Huffman took over a Young Harris program this season and won as many games in 2019-20 as the team has had in the past two years combined. The first-year head coach led the Mountain Lions to a 15-14 overall record, including a 9-11 ledger in PBC play.
That’s the most wins for a YHC women’s basketball team since the 2013-14 and an improvement of nine wins over last season. YHC made their first-ever PBC Tournament appearance this season with the second-best scoring defense in the league (61.6 ppg).
Niaya White
The Mountain Lions were also ranked in the PBC’s top five in rebounds per game (36.6), field goal percentage defense (.378) and rebound margin (+3.9). Huffman is the first YHC coach to be named the women’s basketball Coach of the Year.
White, a 5-foot-8 junior guard/forward from St. Petersburg, Florida, led the Mountain Lions with 13.3 points per game and was third in rebounding (4.4) and assists (47) and fourth in steals (33).
White is currently ranked 11th in the league in scoring, second in free throw percentage (.808), eighth in field goals (142) and 13th in free throws (80).
White scored in double figures in 23 of the 29 games played, including a career-high 26 points against Flagler College. She also grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds against Georgia Southwestern State University.
YHC’s Brian Harper named all-conference second team
Sports, TeamFYNSports, YHC Basketball March 7, 2020
Brian Harper
Young Harris College men’s basketball player Brian Harper was named to the All-Peach Belt Conference second team at the PBC Tournament banquet Friday evening, March 6.
This is the second-consecutive year the senior 5-foot-9 guard from Memphis, Tennessee, had been named to the all-conference team.
Harper led the Mountain Lions with 18.5 points per game, 231 assists and 67 steals, and was second with 4.3 rebounds per game. Harper also paced the Mountain Lions in free throw shooting (.804), field goal shooting (.494) and three-point field goal shooting (.453). Harper, who recorded the program’s second ever triple double – 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists – in a win over Columbus State University, leads the Peach Belt in assists and is second in steals, third in three-point shooting, fifth in scoring, and seventh in free throw shooting.
Nationally, Harper led NCAA Division II in assists per game (8.5) for the second-consecutive year. Harper is also second in total assists, sixth in steals per game (2.39), and 10th in total steals.
Mountain Lions sweep weekly Gulf South women’s lacrosse awards
Sports, Team FYN Sports, YHC Lacrosse March 4, 2020
Young Harris College swept the weekly Gulf South Conference’s women’s lacrosse honors, it was announced Tuesday, March 3.
Mary Deatrick
Mary Deatrick was named Player of the Week, while Maddy Meyers was named both the Defensive Player of the Week and the Freshman of the Week.
Maddy Meyers
Deatrick, a senior midfielder from Marietta, Georgia, scored six goals and had four assists as the Mountain Lions split two matches last week. Deatrick also won 13 draw controls. It’s the second time in her career that she has won this award.
Meyers, a freshman goalie also from Marietta, had 28 saves in net for YHC, including 14 in a win over the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. She also corralled three ground balls and caused a turnover during the week.
The Mountain Lions (2-3) return to action Friday (March 6) with a 4 p.m. match against Catawba College at the YHC Soccer and Lacrosse Field.