Postgame Interviews
HICKORY, N.C. | Young Harris College defeated No. 11 Lenoir-Rhyne University 9-3 in game two of the NCAA softball Southeast Regional title match after falling in game one 6-3 Saturday (May 12) afternoon at Bears Field.
The Mountain Lions improved to 35-19 on the season while the Bears fell to 45-10. Young Harris advances to the Super Regional on Thursday (May 17) in Dahlonega, Georgia, to take on the University of North Georgia.
The Mountain Lions handed Lenoir-Rhyne their only two home losses of the season.
The Bears struck first in game two with a single to right field by Kylee Leonhardt in the bottom of the first inning. Erin Boone came around score after Talon LaClair reached on a fielding error to make it a 2-0 game.
Fallyn Johnson scored the first run of the game for Young Harris on a wild pitch.
Haylie Shope gave the Mountain Lions the lead with a two-run double to left field that scored
Sara Alderman and
Kristan Lizardi.
Jill Torres hit a three-run homer over the fence in center field, her second of the tournament and seventh of the season, to give Young Harris a 6-2 fifth inning lead.
The Bears got a run back in the bottom half of the fifth after Leonhardt sent a solo shot to left field.
Torres picked up her fourth RBI of the game for the Mountain Lions with a bases-loaded walk to score
Georgia Webb in the top of the sixth inning. Lizardi added to the lead (8-3) with a RBI fielder's choice to centerfield that scored
Grace Botti.
Botti drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning to make it a 9-3 lead for YHC.
Dharma Rosbrugh (22-11) picked up the win for the Mountain Lions as she gave up one run on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts in 6.2 innings of relief.
Torres went 2-for-2 at the plate with four RBI and a run scored. Shope collected two hits and two RBI.
Emily Harris went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Botti tallied two hits, a RBI, and a run scored. Liazrdi had a hit, one RBI, and a run scored while
Hannah Harrison had two hits.
Emily Kenley (24-5) earned the loss for the Bears as she allowed seven runs (five earned) on 11 hits with five walks and two strikeouts in six innings pitched.
Haylie Shope put YHC on the board first in the opener with her team-leading 11th homer of the year to make it a 1-0 game in the third inning.
Christina Walker tied the game at 1 for LR in the bottom half of the third after she came around to score on a wild pitch.
Webb gave the Mountain Lions a 3-1 in the top of the seventh lead with a single to right field that allowed Harrison and Alderman to score.
Walker scored on a fielding error to tie the game at 3 for the Bears in the bottom of the seventh. Leonhardt hit the game-winning three-run homer to center field to give LR a 6-3 victory.
Kenley (24-4) picked up the complete game win for the Bears as she allowed three runs (two earned) on 10 hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Rosbrugh (21-11) earned the loss for YHC as she allowed two runs on two hits.
Webb and Shope each collected two hits and a RBI. Harris and Harrison tallied two hits apiece while
Murphy Davis and Alderman each had a hit.
