HPU Baseball Drops 4-1 Decision To Saint Joseph’s

BURLINGTON, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team fell to Saint Joseph’s by a score of 4-1 in the final game of the Elon Invitational on Sunday afternoon in Burlington, N.C. Freshman Chris Clare went 2-4 and scored HPU’s only run in the loss.

“When the hits aren’t coming easy that is when you have to throw strikes and make plays which we did not do today,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “Both of their innings were facilitated by walks and errors. Unfortunately that beat us today. We need to play defense on days we aren’t scoring. We will get back out there and be ready for Tuesday.”

Freshman Andre Scrubb took the loss on the mound and dropped to 0-2 on the season. The freshman pitched five innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits and four walks while striking out a career-high seven.

Jordan Carter earned the win for Saint Joe’s to improve to 1-1 on the season. Carter pitched five innings and allowed one unearned run on four hits and two walks while striking out six. Lansing Veeder picked up the save for Saint Joseph’s with a scoreless ninth.

The loss was High Point’s first in seven games and it dropped the Panthers to 7-5 on the season. Saint Joseph’s improved to 3-3 with its second win in as many days.

Walks hurt High Point in the top of the fifth inning as the Hawks scored two runs with both runners having reached on a walk. Saint Joseph’s had runners at first and second with two outs when Brian O’Keefe and Collin Forgey hit back-to-back RBI singles to put the Hawks in front.

High Point pushed its only run of the game across in the bottom of the fifth on a bases-loaded walk by junior Josh Spano. The Panthers loaded the bases with singles by freshman Chris Clare and senior Kyle Brandenburg and an error by the SJU shortstop. Spano went down 0-2 to start the at-bat but battled back to earn the walk and bring in the HPU run.

Saint Joseph’s expanded its lead in the top of the seventh, going up 4-1 with two runs in the inning. The Hawks loaded the bases with two singles and a walk then scored twice when Stefan Kancylarz reached on an error by Clare and Tommy Cunningham was hit by a pitch.

High Point returns to Williard Stadium to open a nine-game home stand beginning on Tuesday, March 4, when the team hosts Elon University. It will be the second meeting between the Panthers and Phoenix in less than a week. HPU picked up the win in the first game between the two squads with a 6-2 victory on Saturday.