HPU Baseball Wins 2-1 Pitching Duel Over Gardner-Webb In 11 Innings

BURLINGTON, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team scored off a wild pitch in the top of the 11th inning to pick up a 2-1 win over Gardner-Webb in a non-conference game at the Elon Invitational on Friday afternoon. Junior John McGillicuddy allowed just one run in eight innings of work for the Panthers.

“This was a really good win for our team today,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “This was a high level baseball game. Both Fraudin and McGillicuddy were outstandin on the mound. We made a ton of plays defensively. We had great belief, our guys never gave up and figured out a way to win.”

With the score tied at 1-1 in the 11th inning, High Point loaded the bases with an error by the Runnin’ Bulldog third baseman, a single by junior Spencer Angelis and a walk by freshman Mitch Reeves. With junior Dane McDermott at the plate, GWU pitcher Mitch Warner bounced a ball past the catcher allowing pinch runner Mike Miedzianowski to score the go-ahead run.

Senior John Maloney pitched a perfect bottom of the 11th, including strikeouts of the final two GWU batters to pick up the win.

McGillicuddy pitched a career-high eight innings and allowed one earned run on five hits and two walks while striking out a career-high seven batters. Maloney pitched the final three innings and struck out four batters.

Mitch Warner took the loss for Gardner-Webb, allowing one unearned run on one hit and two walks in two innings of work. GWU starter Matt Fraudin pitched nine innings and allowed one earned run on seven hits and one walk while striking out seven.

The win was High Point’s fifth in a row and sixth in seven games. The Panthers improve to 6-4 on the season. Gardner-Webb drops to 3-6 for the season with the loss.

High Point got on the board in the top of the third inning with a run to break open a 0-0 game. McDermott and freshman Chris Clare opened the frame with back-to-back singles and then moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by senior Kyle Brandenburg. Freshman Tim Mansfield drove in McDermott from third with a sacrifice fly, giving the Panthers a slim lead. The run was just the second earned run surrendered by Fraudin this season.

Gardner-Webb scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run by Sam Fulginiti, tying the game at 1-1.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs threatened to win the game in the 10th inning, putting two runners on with no outs before Maloney worked out of the jam with two flyouts and a strikeout to send the game to the 11th.

The extra inning win by High Point was it’s third of the season. The Panthers are now 3-1 in extra-inning games.

Clare went 3-5 at the plate for High Point while junior Cody Manzella finished 2-5. Mansfield picked up the only Panther RBI of the game with his sacrifice fly in the third.

High Point returns to Burlington, N.C., on Saturday, Feb. 28, to face host Elon University on the second day of the Elon Invitational. Senior Mike Krumm will start for HPU against the Phoenix. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m.