HPU Baseball Falls To USF In Rubber Game, 3-0

• High Point lost in the rubber game of the three-game weekend series against South Florida by a score of 3-0.
• Senior Spencer Angelis reached base three times, going 1-2 on the day with two walks.
• Redshirt-junior Scot Hoffman pitched 6-1/3 innings and allowed three earned runs while striking out three.

TAMPA, Fla. – The High Point University baseball team dropped the rubber game in its three-game series against South Florida by a score of 3-0 on Sunday afternoon in Tampa, Fla. Senior Spencer Angelis reached base three times in the loss.

“This was a good ballgame and we had opportunities with runners in scoring position early but did nothing with it,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “Their starter was just better than us today. I have to give that guy a lot of credit, he pitched at us and got them deep into the game so they could give the ball to their best two arms in the bullpen.”

Redshirt-junior Scot Hoffman pitched well in his second start for the Panthers but took the loss, dropping to 0-2 on the season. Hoffman pitched 6-1/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out three.

Joe Cavallaro pitched seven shutout innings in his first collegiate start to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the season for the Bulls. Tommy Peterson earned his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning of work.

High Point drops to 2-6 on the season with the loss. USF improves to 6-4-1 in 2015 with the win.

South Florida took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to back-to-back extra-base hits by Luke Maglich and Luke Borders. Maglich hit a leadoff double and was followed by a triple from Borders. The USF designated hitter then scored on a groundball by Daniel Portales.

The Panthers’ best chance to score came in the fourth inning when High Point loaded the bases with one out on a single by senior Spencer Angelis, a double from senior Cody Manzella double and a walk by senior Tony Fortier-Bensen. HPU was unable to push a run across as sophomore Alexander Gross hit a hard shot back to the mound and senior Josh Spano flied out to end the threat.

Borders scored again in the seventh inning to push the Bulls’ lead to 3-0 after reaching with a leadoff double. Borders scored on an sacrifice fly by Zac Gilcrease.

Angelis finished 1-2 at the plate with two walks for High Point. Manzella picked up the Panthers’ only other hit in the game with his double in the fourth and finished 1-4.

Borders played a role in all three runs for South Florida, driving in one and scoring the other two. He was the only player on either team to record multiple hits in the pitching dual, finished 2-3 on the day.

High Point returns home on Tuesday, March 3, to play Appalachian State in midweek action. It will be only the second home game of the season for the Panthers. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.

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