Braves take NCAA Southeast Regional opener over Young Harris

SALISBURY — Fourth-seeded UNC Pembroke held off a late rally from fifth-seeded Young Harris to take an 8-7 win in the NCAA Southeast Regional opener Thursday afternoon at Catawba’s Newman Park.

Joey Rezek led the way with a 5-for-5, two double, one home run day, while Kody O’Connor went big fly twice on the way to a 3-for-5 performance. The duo combined to go 8-for-10, with three doubles, three home runs, and six RBI. Blake Hinson also had three hits, with two steals and an RBI.

Jake Inman (6-1) picked up the win, going 3 1/3 innings in relief of Jonathon Jacobs, allowing just one run on four hits before Chase Jernigan pitched into and out of danger in the ninth to hang on for the victory.

The Braves fell behind 3-0 early, but eventually tagged Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year Zach Murray (9-2) for ten hits and six runs.

The Braves (43-12) improved to 18-7 in the all-time series with the Mountain Lions (39-14), and have now taken seven of the last eight matchups.

The Braves will be back in action Friday as they will take on Catawba in what will either be an elimination game for Catawba, or the start of a best-of-three series for the regional title depending on the result of tonight’s Catawba-Young Harris matchup. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

Steve Spell got the Mountain Lions on the board first with a two-run single in the second inning, while Jack Enrico added an RBI walk to send Young Harris out to an early 3-0 lead.

The Braves answered back in the third, as Rezek connected for his 21st home run of the year, while O’Connor went back-to-back to cut the deficit to 3-2.

An inning later, UNCP’s Will Hood worked a leadoff walk, stole second, and came around to tie the game on a Blake Hinson RBI single up the middle. Hinson stole second and would come home to score on Rezek’s RBI double to give the Braves a 4-3 lead.

Young Harris responded in the fifth with a James Basham RBI single to tie the game back up at 4-4.

Hood reached via a leadoff single in the sixth and moved to third on Hinson’s single, setting the stage for a perfectly executed double steal to put the Braves back ahead 5-4. Rezek struck again with another RBI double to score Hinson, while O’Connor sent one into orbit for a two-run job to stretch the lead to 8-4.

In the Mountain Lions’ ninth, Basham scored one with an RBI double, Jeremy Begora worked an RBI walk, and Jack Enrico was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 8-7, before Chase Jernigan nailed down the win with a strikeout of Ethan Stamps.

Basham and Marco Colina each had three hits for Young Harris and Spell had two. Basham and Spell each had two RBIs.