HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team scored in each of the first three innings on its way to a 10-2 win over Central Connecticut State on Saturday afternoon at Williard Stadium. The win clinches the weekend series for the Panthers.
“This was another very solid performance today,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “I think we picked up right where we left off last night. We really did a good job of sustaining our offensive pressure throughout the game. Sean Townsley battled despite not having his best stuff and gave us six quality innings and Malcolm Clapsaddle did a great job from the pen and gave them no chance to get back in the game. We have to come out with the same mentality tomorrow and accept nothing less than a sweep.”
Senior Willie Medina started the scoring off in the bottom of the first inning, crossing the plate on a suicide squeeze. The shortstop led off the inning with a double to left field on the first pitch and advanced to third on a groundball in front of the mound. With sophomore Josh Spano at the plate, the Panthers caught Central Connecticut off guard with a suicide squeeze and Medina slid in under the throw home.
High Point continued to extend its lead with two runs in the second on an RBI groundout by graduate student Adam Barry that scored senior Scott Glover and a single to right by Medina, scoring sophomore Mike Miedzianowski to go ahead 3-0.
CCSU scored a run in the top of the third to cut the HPU lead to 3-1, but the Panthers came right back in the bottom of the frame with two more runs to push their advantage to 5-1 after three. Glover drove in Spano on a fielder’s choice and Miedzianowski hit a sacrifice fly to score junior Blake Hutton.
The Blue Devils would score once more in the contest on an RBI groundout by JP Sportman in the fifth before HPU rattled off five more runs in the final five innings to pick up the 10-2 win. The Panthers’ big inning came in the seventh when High Point scored four times with two outs. Freshman Sly Edwards scored on a wild pitch, Medina drove in two with an RBI double and came around to score on a single by senior Devin Bujnovsky.
Medina went 3-6 at the plate on the day with two doubles, driving in three runs and scoring twice. The shortstop set a new career high for RBI in the game and matched his career high for doubles. Glover, Spano and Retz each had two hits and a run scored in the game while Miedzianowski went 1-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Redshirt-junior Sean Townsley got the start and pitched six innings to improve to 3-0 on the season. The lefthander allowed just two earned runs on seven hits while striking out five. Redshirt-junior Malcolm Clapsaddle pitched the final three innings for his second save of the season, allowing just two hits while striking out five. The righthander picked up all three outs in the ninth inning by strikeout.
CCSU starter Nick Neumann took the loss for the Blue Devils after pitching five innings and allowing six runs, three earned on nine hits. He falls to 1-1 on the season. Central Connecticut State’s Dylan Delacruz had a good day at the plate, going 4-5 with two runs scored.
High Point improves to 9-10 with the win which also clinches its second weekend series of the season. CCSU fall to 4-6 for the year.
The Panthers and Blue Devils will meet at Williard Stadium for the third and final game of the weekend series on Sunday, March 17, at 1 p.m. The Panthers will turn to senior Jared Avidon on the mound as they attempt to pick up their second series sweep of the season.