HPU Baseball Clinches Series With 9-8 Win Over William & Mary In 11 Innings

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team pulled out a 9-8 win over William & Mary in 11 innings on Sunday afternoon at Williard Stadium when freshman Brenden Rivera hit a sacrifice fly to center with the bases loaded to score senior Kyle Brandenburg. The win gave HPU a 2-1 series win over the Tribe for the weekend.

“We really started to get things done offensively today,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “I am proud of the way we performed at the plate. Andre Scrubb was exceptional today. They got to him in the seventh but he set a great tone for us. You have to credit William & Mary for coming back and tying the game but our team showed great character. This was a good week for this team.”

The Panthers led for most of the afternoon before William & Mary scored five runs in the ninth inning to tie the game at 8-8. HPU was held scoreless in the ninth and both teams were unable to push across a run in the 10th.

High Point loaded the bases with no out in the bottom of the 11th on a single by Brandenburg, an error on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Tim Mansfield and a bunt single by junior Josh Spano. Rivera then pinch hit and lofted a 2-2 pitch to the warning track to drive in the game-winning run. It was the first RBI of the season for the freshman.

Junior Conor Lourey earned the win for High Point after pitching 2-1/3 scoreless innings of relief. The right-hander came in with two on and two outs in the ninth and got the final out to end the William & Mary rally. He allowed just one hit while striking out two.

Kevin Casey took the loss for William & Mary after allowing one run on four hits in 2-1/3 innings pitched.

The series win was the first of the season for High Point which improves to 3-4 on the season. William & Mary drops to 3-4 after the second weekend of action with the loss.

High Point took an early 5-0 lead in the contest, scoring two runs in the first and three in the second. Junior Spencer Angelis drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single to score Mansfield and Spano scored on a passed ball as the Panthers jumped ahead early.

One inning later, junior Dane McDermott and freshman Chris Clare led off the inning with back-to-back singles then came around to score on a throwing error by the pitcher on a sacrifice bunt by Brandenburg. The HPU third baseman then scored the third run of the frame on a sacrifice fly by Spano.

The Panthers continued to pad their lead in the fourth inning when Spano drove in his second run of the game with an RBI groundout to plate Clare, who led off the inning with a single.

HPU starter Andre Scrubb kept William & Mary off the board until the seventh inning when the Tribe scored three runs with two outs to pull within 6-3. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases. William & Mary scored its first run when Kevin Nutter was hit by a pitch then added two more on an RBI single by Willie Shaw. Senior John Maloney then came into the game for Scrubb and struck out Ryan Lindemuth to end the threat.

Scrubb pitched 6-2/3 innings in his home debut and allowed three runs on five hits and four walks. The freshman struck out six batters on the day, the most for any HPU pitcher in a game this season.

High Point added two runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend its lead to 8-3. Junior Tony Fortier-Bensen scored on a throwing error by the W&M second baseman and Brandenburg scored on an RBI single by Spano.

Down 8-3 in the top of the ninth, William & Mary loaded the bases with no outs on a single, a hit batter and a walk. The Tribe then got RBI singles by Nutter and Shaw and a sacrifice fly by Lindemuth to drive in three runs. After a pop out to short by Michael Katz and a walk by Nick Thompson, Ryan Hissey hit an RBI single to right to tie the game at 8-8.

Mansfield and Angelis each finished with four hits on the afternoon as Mansfield went 4-4 with a run scored from the leadoff spot and Angelis went 4-5 with an RBI. Spano finished 2-5 on the day with a team-high three RBI and Brandenburg finished with a team-high three runs scored.

Casey and Derek Lowe each finished with two hits and two runs scored for William & Mary while Shaw went 2-4 with two RBI.

William & Mary starter Nick Brown lasted just one inning and allowed five runs, two earned, on three hits and two walks.

High Point concludes its five-game home stand on Tuesday, Feb. 25, when the team hosts North Carolina Central at Williard Stadium. The Panthers swept a home-and-home series with Central last season. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.