HPU Baseball Panthers Drop Two On Senior Night

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University baseball takes a pair of losses to open its series against Gardner-Webb on senior day, with the Bulldogs sweeping the doubleheader by scores of 9-1 and 8-0.

“If I’d have known that we were going to play like that, I would’ve done something about it,” said Head Coach Craig Cozart. “It’s pretty sad, on senior day, to put up one run in 18 innings and have two terrible starts. We couldn’t keep the ball in the ball park and we couldn’t put runs on the board. We’ve been here before.”

GWU got off to an early start against the Panthers in game one, hanging a pair in the first before going ahead 5-0 in the top of the fifth. The Panthers did not register a knock until Evan Bergman’s single in the bottom of inning number three, before surrendering another four in the top half of the eighth.

The Panthers’ first score of the night didn’t come until the bottom of the eighth, where Travis Holt collected a two-out double, followed up by back-to-back singles from Daniel Millwee and Joe Johnson. Johnson’s RBI knock proved to be the lone HPU score of the night, as the final read 9-1 in favor of the visitors.

High Point did collect seven knocks during game one but left eight runners stranded in their series opener loss, while junior Ryan Russell went 2-for-4.

The Purple & White experienced more of the same in game number two, with the Bulldogs moving out in front on two-run homers in both the first and third innings.

Holt registered his second knock of the night with a leadoff single in the bottom of the first, going on to record a single in the third, and his second double of the day in the fifth. The sophomore finished 3-for-4 in the second leg of the doubleheader, finishing the day 4-for-8 with a run scored in all.

After falling behind by eight in the first five innings, the combination of Bryan Woelfel, Jack Nathan, Chris Apecechea and Muhammed Eid kept the Bulldogs hitless through the final four frames, but were unable to secure a win for the Panthers with a lack of run support on the offensive end.

>> Holt extends his current hitting streak to nine straight after Friday’s doubleheader, he’s averaged .524 since April 20th
>> Daniel Millwee’s 30-game on base streak came to an end in game two
>> First baseman JJ Woodard drew a total of three walks on day, while fellow senior Conner Dunbar collected a knock in game two against the Bulldogs.

COMING UP NEXT
The Panthers finale still hangs in the air with inclement weather making its way to the Piedmont Triad. The current game three first pitch is scheduled for 1 PM inside Williard Stadium, but is subject to change in congruence with possible weather delays.