HPU Baseball Falls In Series Finale To Bowling Green, 7-4

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team surrendered four runs in the first inning on the way to a 7-4 loss to Bowling Green in the second game of a double header on Sunday afternoon at Williard Stadium. Junior Cody Manzella went 2-4 in the loss with a solo home run.

“Unfortunately the tone was set in the first inning,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “The theme of the day was putting guys on free We put five guys on free in the first inning and never recovered. It is good to win the series, but disappointing to give away game three.”

Freshman Andre Scrubb took the loss after allowing four runs in just 1/3 of an inning of work. Scrubb allowed one hit and two walks and hit a batter in his time on the mound.

Andrew Lacinak got the win for Bowling Green after pitching five innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits and two walks while striking out two. Ethan McKenney got the save with two innings of relief. McKenney allowed one earned run on three hits while striking out one.

Despite the loss, High Point picked up the series win over the Falcons two games to one. HPU drops to 10-6 overall on the season while Bowling Green improves to 3-9.

High Point fell behind 4-0 in the top of the first inning as Scrubb and freshman Cas Silber combined to allow seven base runners on two hits, four walks and a hit batter. The big blow came off the bat of Brandon Howard who hit a two-run single up the middle with two outs to plate the final two runs.

The Panthers pulled back within one in the bottom of the fourth inning with three runs, making the score 4-3. HPU’s first two runners reached when freshman Josh Greene walked and junior Josh Spano was hit by a pitch. An error by the Bowling Green third baseman on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Dominic Fazio scored Greene and a sacrifice fly by junior Spencer Angelis scored Spano. The final HPU run came home on an RBI single by freshman Chris Clare to score Fazio.

Bowling Green scored one run in each of the final three innings to push its lead back to four at 7-3. Brian Bien drove in the run in the seventh with a sacrifice fly, Andrew Kubuski had an RBI single in the eighth and T.J. Losby had an RBI double in the ninth.

Manzella scored the final run of the game in the ninth for HPU with his first collegiate home run. The junior took a 3-1 pitch way over the wall in right to make the score 7-4.

Junioir Dane McDermott finished with multiple hits in the contest, going 2-4 at the plate. Greene, Spano and Fazio all scored a run for the Panthers.

High Point returns to action on Wednesday, March 12, when the team hosts Quinnipiac at Williard Stadium. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.