• High Point completed the weekend sweep with a 17-4 win over Presbyterian College in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
• The Panthers scored 15 total runs in the sixth and seventh innings to earn the come-from-behind win.
• Senior Tony Fortier-Bensen and sophomore Chris Clare combined to go 4-7 with seven RBI and four runs scored for HPU.
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team scored a total of 15 runs in the sixth and seventh inning to come-from-behind for a 17-4 win over Presbyterian College in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Williard Stadium. The win completed a weekend sweep for the Panthers.
“If you are going to sweep a team this is the way to do it,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “The theme of the entire day was answering their runs on the offensive end. The bottom of our order, Chris Clare and Tony Fortier-Bensen, really made us go today. On the mound, Andre Scrubb came on in a big situation and got us out of a difficult situation. When you are in a position to sweep this is the way you are supposed to respond.”
Senior Tony Fortier-Bensen and sophomore Chris Clare combined to go 4-7 with seven RBI and four runs scored for HPU. Clare went 2-3 with a double, two walks, three RBI and two runs scored. Fortier-Bensen went 2-4 with a triple, four RBI and two runs scored.
High Point plated five runs in the sixth to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 7-3 lead. Fortier-Bensen and senior Cody Manzella both had RBI triples in the sixth as HPU retook the lead.
After the Blue Hose scored one run in the top of the seventh, HPU sent 14 players to the plate and recorded five hits on its way to scoring 10 runs in the bottom of the frame, its second-highest scoring inning of the season. Clare and freshman Carson Jackson both had RBI doubles while senior Dane McDermott drove in two with an RBI single. Seniors Josh Spano and Brady Williamson and freshman Hunter Lee also picked up RBI in the inning.
Sophomore Andre Scrubb earned the win for the Panthers and improved to 3-0 after giving up one run in 1-2/3 innings of relief. Scrubb gave up one hit and one walk and recorded one strikeout. Starter Conor Lourey
Tanner Chock took the loss for the Blue Hose and dropped to 2-2 on the season. Chock pitched 5-1/3 innings and allowed six earned runs on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
The Panthers improve to 20-18 overall and 9-6 in the Big South with the win. The series win is High Point’s fourth of the season and the first weekend sweep. Presbyterian College drops to 22-18 overall and 4-11 in the Big South.
High Point scored two runs in the second inning to take an early 2-0 lead. A single by sophomore Josh Greene, a walk by Jackson and a single by McDermott loaded the bases with no outs for the Panthers. Clare earned an RBI with a bases-loaded walk and Fortier-Bensen hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the second.
The Blue Hose came back with three unanswered runs to take a 3-2 lead, scoring once in the third and twice in the sixth. Peter Johnson scored the first run on a wild pitch in the third and PC got a solo home run by Billy Motroni and an RBI double by Jacob Midkiff in the sixth.
High Point concludes its current four-game home stand with a midweek contest against North Carolina Central on Wednesday, April 22, at 6 p.m. The game is being made up after the originally scheduled contest was snowed out in February.