HPU Baseball Drops Nail Biter To VMI, 4-3

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team fell to VMI by a score of 4-3 on Saturday night in Williard Stadium, evening the weekend series at a game apiece. Freshman Josh Greene went 2-4 in the game for HPU with a run scored.

“This was another good ballgame tonight that was close throughout,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “Bases loaded with two outs in the fifth and Josh Spano hits a rocket right at the left fielder. That is baseball; it is a game of inches sometimes. We just didn’t push the runs across when we had the opportunities.”

Mike Krumm took the loss for High Point, dropping to 3-5 on the season. Krumm pitched four innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits and two walks while striking out two. Freshman Cas Silber took over in the fifth and pitched the final five innings, allowing just one earned run on two hits and three walks while striking out a career-high six.

Taylor Edens earned the win for VMI after entering the game with the bases-loaded and two outs in the fifth inning. Edens escaped the jam and pitched three innings in which he allowed just one run on two hits and struck out two batters. Berkley Hawkins pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing just one hit, to earn his second save of the season.

The loss by High Point ended a five-game conference winning streak for the Panthers. HPU drops to 20-15 overall and 8-6 in the Big South with the loss. VMI improved to 19-14 overall and 7-7 in the Big South.

The Keydets took a 3-0 lead through the first three innings, scoring one run in the first and two more in the third. Jordan Tarsovich led off the game with a home run for VMI’s first run and Eric Mayers drove in two with an RBI single in the third.

The Panthers pulled back within one in the fourth inning, plating two runs to make the score 3-2. High Point loaded the bases on a single by Greene and walks by juniors Spencer Angelis and Brady Williamson. Sophomore Dopminic Fazio drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to right then HPU scored its second when a throw on a stolen base by Williamson went into the outfield, allowing Angelis to score from third.

After VMI pushed its lead back to two with a solo home run by Meyers in the top of the eighth, High Point came right back in the bottom of the frame with a run of its own to pull back within one. Williamson hit a two-out single into the left that skipped past the VMI fielder and rolled to the wall, allowing junior Josh Spano to score from first.

The Panthers put the tying run on in the bottom of the ninth when junior Dane McDermott doubled down the left field line, but senior Kyle Brandenburg grounded out to second for the final out in the contest. McDermott finished 2-5 on the night with his ninth-inning double.

Tarsovich and Mayers combined to go 4-8 with two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored for the Keydets.

With the weekend series tied at one game apiece, High Point and VMI will meet for the rubber game on Sunday, April 13, at 1 p.m. Freshman Andre Scrubb will start for the Panthers on the mound and will look to pick up his third win of the season.