HPU Baseball Ends Home Schedule With 11-3 Win Over UNC Asheville

• High Point clinched its weekend series over UNC Asheville with an 11-3 win in the Panthers’ final home game of the season on Sunday.
• Sophomore Andre Scrubb earned his fourth win of the season after allowing just one run in seven innings of work.
• Seniors Brady Williamson and Josh Spano both had three hits on the day with two RBI and two runs scored each.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team wrapped up its 2015 home schedule with an 11-3 win over UNC Asheville on Sunday afternoon in Williard Stadium. The Panthers clinched the weekend series with the win over Asheville.

“I am really proud of the way the guys came out and got the win here today,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “These guys got themselves ready to go and sent out this senior class the right way. The big picture is that we are still trying to play our best brand of baseball going into the weekend against Liberty and the conference tournament. We still have a lot of baseball to play,”

Sophomore Andre Scrubb allowed just one run in seven innings of work to improve to 4-1 on the season. Scrubb gave up just three hits and four walks while striking out six in his second start of the season.

Lucas Clarke suffered the loss for UNC Asheville and dropped to 4-8 in 2015. Clarke pitched just four innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits and three walks with one punchout.

The Panthers imporve to 25-23 overall and 12-9 in the Big South, clinching at least a .500 finish in conference play with the win. UNC Asheville falls to 21-30 overall and 5-16 in the Big South.

High Point got on the board with a run in the bottom of the first, taking an early 1-0 lead. Senior Brady Williamson led off the inning with a single up the middle and stole second before scoring on an RBI groundout by senior Josh Spano.

The Panthers continued to extend their lead in the following inning, scoring two runs in the frame to go up 3-0. Williamson again delivered the big hit for HPU with an RBI double just inside the bag at third to drive in both runs. Seniors Cody Manzella and Dane McDermott both scored for High Point after reaching on a double and walk.

After Asheville got on the board with a run in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Kyle Carruthers, High Point came back with two runs in the bottom of the frame to extend its lead to 6-1. Sophomore Josh Greene drove in the first run with an RBI fielder’s choice and senior Tony Fortier-Bensen added RBI single.

High Point continued to extend its lead with two runs in the sixth as Spano drove in Williamson with an RBI double and freshman Carson Jackson scored sophomore Chris Clare with an RBI fielder’s choice.

Williamson and Spano each finished with three hits, two RBI and two runs scored for the Panthers on Sunday with Williamson notching two doubles and Spano picking up a double and a triple. The triple by the HPU catcher was his first since his freshman season.

UNC Asheville got a two-run home run from Carruthers with two outs in the ninth to make the final score 11-3. The Bulldog outfielder drove in all three of Asheville’s run in the contest.

Greene and Manzella joined Spano and Williamson with multiple hits in the win as Greene finished 2-4 at the plate with two RBI and a run scored and Manzella went 2-4 with two walks, two RBI and two runs scored. Clare went 1-3 with two walks and two runs scored.

High Point wraps up the 2015 regular season with a three-game conference series at Liberty beginning on Thursday, May 14. The first game of the series will begin at 6:30 p.m.