HPU Baseball Evens Series Against Tulane With A 4-2 Win

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Redshirt-junior Sean Townsley held Tulane to just two hits and one run over eight innings of work to help the High Point University baseball team pick up a 4-2 win over the Green Wave on Saturday afternoon in New Orleans, La. The win evens the series between HPU and Tulane at a game apiece.

“I have really liked the way that we have played in our last three games,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “We have played errorless baseball in both games of this series and our starting pitching has been outstanding. Sean Townsley was special today, coming into a place like this and limiting them to two hits in eight innings. Now we are in position to win the series and that is what we want to come out tomorrow and do.”

Townsley turned in his best start of the season, pitching eight innings of two-hit baseball to improve to 2-0 on the season. The left hander allowed just one earned run while striking out five Tulane batters.

Tulane’s only run of the game came in the bottom of the second inning on a groundout to third by Tim Yandel which put the Green Wave in front, 1-0.

The Panthers came right back with two runs in the next half inning to take a 2-1 lead on back-to-back sacrifice flies by senior Devin Bujnovsky and sophomore Josh Spano. Junior Kyle Brandenburg was hit by a pitch to start the inning and senior Willie Medina followed with a bunt single. The throw to first on the play got past the Tulane second baseman, allowing both runners to advance a base. Bujnovsky then hit a fly to left which both scored Brandenburg and advanced Medina to third before Spano drove him in with a fly to right.

High Point added a run to its lead in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI single by graduate student Adam Barry. Senior Sean Wilson reached base with a fielder’s choice then stole second ahead of Barry. The third baseman hit a single up the middle to drive in Wilson and put HPU ahead 3-1.

Bujnovsky picked up his second RBI of the game in the next inning with a single up the middle to put the Panthers ahead, 4-1. Medina led off the inning with an infield single to short and moved to third on a two-base error by the pitcher on a pick-off attempt before scoring on the Bujnovsky single.

Tulane threatened in the bottom of the ninth inning, loading the bases and scoring a run on four-straight walks by HPU relievers. Redshirt-junior Malcolm Clapsaddle came in out of the bullpen and got two-straight strikeouts to end the game, securing the Panthers’ 4-2 win and earning him his first save of the season.

Medina went 3-5 in the game with two runs scored for HPU. Bujnovsky went 1-3 with two RBI and Barry finished 2-4 with one RBI. Spano finished the game 0-3 with an RBI, ending his 13-game hitting streak.

Tulane’s Alex Byo took the loss for the Green Wave in a complete-game effort. Byo pitched nine innings and allowed four runs, one earned on eight hits and a walk. The right hander struck out four HPU batters in the game.

The win by the Panthers improves their record of 7-8 on the season. Tulane drops back to .500 at 8-8 with the loss.

High Point and Tulane will meet for the rubber match of the three-game series on Sunday, March 10, at 1 p.m. CST. Senior Jared Avidon will get the start for HPU as the Panthers go for the series win.