GAME 1
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team clinched a series win against Winthrop with a 7-4 win over the Eagles in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Williard Stadium. Junior Josh Spano hit two home runs in the HPU win.
“I am really pleased we were able to pick up the win and clinch the series,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “Mike Krumm did exactly what he needed to do on the mound. He threw strikes and made them put the ball in play. Our guys did a very good job at the plate against a quality arm and our defense continues to play well. We need to figure out a way to carry this momentum into game three and complete the sweep.”
Senior Mike Krumm picked up the win on the mound and evened his record at 4-4 on the season. Krumm pitched 7-1/3 innings and allowed three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out two. Senior John Maloney got the final out to earn his eighth save of the season.
Zach Sightler took the loss for the Eagles, dropping to 2-4 on the season. Sightler allowed six earned runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out four in six innings of work.
High Point clinches the three-game series with the win and improves to 22-16 overall and 10-7 in the Big South. Winthrop drops to 18-24 overall and 9-8 in conference play.
High Point loaded the bases in the second and scored three runs to take an early 3-0 lead. Junior Spencer Angelis led off the inning with a double, junior Brady Williamson
McDermott picked up his third RBI of the day in the fourth, driving in junior Forcier-Bensen to put the Panthers ahead 4-0. Fortier-Bensen led off the inning with a double off the top of the wall in left-center and was bunted over by Clare before coming home on a bloop single to left by McDermott.
After Winthrop got on the board with a run in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Clay Altman, junior Josh Spano delivered a big hit in the bottom of the frame with a two-run home run to put HPU ahead 6-1. Angelis reached with a walk ahead of Spano who hit a 2-2 pitch over the wall for his second home run of the season.
Altman once again drove in Babe Thomas for Winthrop’s second run of the game in the seventh but Spano once again responded in the bottom of the inning with his second home run of the game. The junior hit a high shot over the wall in left-center for the solo home run to put HPU in front, 7-2.
The junior finished the game going 3-4 at the plate with three RBI, two runs scored, a double and two home runs. The two-home run game by Spano was the first for High Point since Ryan Retz hit two home runs against VCU in 2011.
Winthrop scored a run in the eighth on an RBI single by TJ Olesczuk and loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth. Maloney came in to get the final out and gave up an RBI single to Leighton Daniels before striking out Luke Maldonado for the final out.
McDermott went 3-5 with three RBI out of the leadoff spot for HPU while Angelis finished 1-2 with a walk and two runs scored.
Thomas finished 2-4 with two doubles and two runs scored for Winthrop while Altman went 1-3 with two RBI.
The third and final game of the series between High Point and Winthrop is currently underway at Williard Stadium. HPU can clinch its second series sweep of the season with a win over the Eagles.
GAME 2
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team completed is series sweep of Winthrop with a 4-2 win in the second game of a doubleheader on Friday night at Williard Stadium. Freshman Josh Greene delivered the winning hit with an RBI single in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie.
“I am really proud of this team’s effort,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “This has to be the best three games of baseball we have put together this season and in a short time frame with the doubleheader. Peter Ripke got us started on the mound and Conor Lourey really slammed the door. Josh Greene also came through with a clutch hit late. This team has great capability and we continue to improve.”
Junior Conor Lourey got the win for the Panthers, improving to 5-0 on the season. Lourey entered the game in the fifth and pitched the final five innings, allowing just two walks while striking out seven. The junior has now pitched 13 scoreless innings and recorded 16 strikeouts in his last three appearances.
Joey Strain took the loss for the Eagles to drop to 5-4 on the season. Strain pitched 3-1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out one.
High Point picked up its second series sweep in conference play this season with the win, improving to 23-16 overall and 11-7 in the Big South. Winthrop drops to 18-25 overall and falls to second in the South Division with a 9-9 mark in conference play.
The Panthers scored the first run of the game in the second inning, taking a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by junior Cody Manzella. Junior Spencer Angelis led off the inning with a double and was bunted to third before scoring on the Manzella single.
Winthrop tied the game in the third with an RBI double by TJ Olesczuk and took the lead one-inning later on a solo home run by Brad Kaczka that landed just over the left field fence.
High Point came back to tie the game at 2-2 in the fifth on an RBI double by senior Kyle Brandenburg. The Panther third baseman hit a shot over the left fielder’s head to the wall in the left center to score freshman Chris Clare who had led off the inning with an infield single.
Neither starter made it out of the fifth inning in the game. HPU’s Peter Ripke pitched four innings and allowed two runs on six hits while Winthrop’s Josh Strong lasted 4-2/3 innings and allowed two runs on six hits and a walk.
The score remained 2-2 until the seventh when Greene delivered with a two-out single to drive in two runs, giving High Point a 4-2 lead. The Panthers had two runners in scoring position after junior Tony Fortier-Bensen and Brandenburg both singled and then advanced on a wild pitch. Greene hit a hard single right back up the middle for his first hit of the day, driving in both HPU runners.
Greene finished 1-4 in the game with two RBI. Angelis went 3-4 in the second game with a run scored and finished the day going 4-6 at the plate with three runs scored in the two wins. Fortier-Bensen and Manzella each went 2-4 in the HPU victory.
Kaczka went 2-4 and recorded his first home run of the season for the Eagles. Leighton Daniels reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 2-2 with two walks in the contest.
High Point returns to the road this week when the team heads to Greensboro, N.C. to face North Carolina A&T on Wednesday, April 23, at 6 p.m. NC A&T beat the Panthers, 7-6 in 10 innings, in the teams’ first meeting on March 19 at Williard Stadium.