HPU Baseball Opens Big South Play With 9-2 Win Over Campbell

• High Point opened Big South play with a 9-2 win over Campbell, improving to 9-10 overall on the season.
• Senior John McGillicuddy matched his career high with eight strikeouts in seven innings of work to earn the win.
• Five Panther hitters recorded multiple hits, including senior Dane McDermott who went 4-4 with two RBI.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Senior John McGillicuddy matched his career high with eight strikeouts as the High Point University baseball team opened Big South play with a 9-2 win over Campbell on Friday night at Williard Stadium.

“This was exactly the way we wanted to open conference play,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “We played outstanding in all aspects of the game. John McGillicuddy and Andre Scrubb were dominant on the mound. Up and down the lineup we had guys with tremendous at bats. I love that we kept adding on runs at the end of the game. That is how you put people away. This is only game one but it is a great start to the weekend.”

McGillicuddy earned his second win in as many weeks to improve to 2-3 on the season. The right-hander pitched seven innings and allowed just two runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out eight. Sophomore Andre Scrubb pitched the final two innings and struck out four Camel batter without allowing a base runner.

Heath Bowers started for Campbell and suffered his first loss of the season, dropping to 4-1. Bowers pitched just 2-1/3 innings and allowed six earned runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out just two.

The win is High Point’s third in a row and its seventh in the past nine games. The Panthers are now 9-10 overall on the season and 1-0 in the Big South. Campbell drops to 18-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

Campbell got on the board first with two runs in the top of the second on a home run by designated hitter Cole Hallum.

High Point answered right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame to claim a lead it would not relinquish. Freshman Carson Jackson drove in the first run with an RBI double and senior Dane McDermott followed with an RBI single. Senior Josh Spano drove in Jackson with a sacrifice fly for the final run of the inning.

The Panthers tacked on three more runs in the following inning to open a 6-1 lead heading into the fourth. Jackson and McDermott once again played a key role as Jackson hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly and McDermott notched his second RBI single. Following a Campbell pitching change, freshman Hunter Lee hit a sacrifice fly to drive in senior Brady Williamson for the final run.

HPU added runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth to push the final margin in the game to 9-2. Senior Tony Fortier-Bensen picked up the RBI in the fifth with a sacrifice fly. Sophomore Josh Greene had an RBI single in the sixth and again in the eighth for the Panthers.

Five High Point hitters recorded multiple hits, including McDermott who went 4-4 with two RBI. Greene and Williamson both had three hits and seniors Cody Manzella and Spencer Angelis each recorded two hits. Greene finished with two RBI and two runs scored while Williamson scored three runs.

High Point recorded 12 strikeouts in the game without allowing a single walk in the contest. It was the second-straight game that the Panthers have struck out 10 or more batters.

HPU and Campbell will return to Williard Stadium for the second game of the three-game weekend series on Saturday, March 21 at 6 p.m. The Panthers can clinch their third-straight weekend series with a win over CU.