HPU Baseball Takes 4-0 Loss at Missouri

COLUMBIA, MO – The High Point University team lost at Missouri on Saturday by a score of 4-0. Junior Matt Armstead took the loss for the Panthers, allowing all four runs to the Tigers.

Mizzou starter Blake Holovach threw a complete-game shutout to improve to 3-1. He gave up just four hits while striking out four batters. He did not issue a walk.

“Holovach pitched an awesome game,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “We just couldn’t break through offensively. We competed hard for the second straight game but we have to come out tomorrow and find a way to win. This series will pay dividends down the road.”

Armstead dropped to 2-2 this season. He threw 5-1/3 innings, allowing four runs, two earned on six hits. He walked three and struck out one before leaving the game.

Blake Brown made it a 4-0 Mizzou lead in the fifth with a homerun to leftfield. Brown’s homer scored Brannon Champagne who had reached on an error. MU catcher Ben Turner also hit a homer off Armstead, a solo shot in the fourth inning.

Armstead walked two in the sixth before he was relieved by Jordan Foster. Foster walked Dillon Everett with two outs to load the bases. Champagne flew out to centerfield to leave the bases loaded.

Foster struck out all three batters in the seventh inning. Mizzou’s 2-3-4 batters all went down swinging against the junior reliever. Foster threw 2-1/3 innings of relief, striking out four without allowing a hit.

Kyle Wigmore came in for the third out of the eighth inning, striking out Champagne to get out of a bases loaded jam.

Ryan Retz got on base twice today, advancing to third both times but was stranded there. He reached on an error in the second inning and singled in the fourth. HPU had its best chance to score in the fourth when Devin Bujnovsky followed Retz’s hit with a double to left. Ryne Rush popped up to end the inning.

Willie Medina and Sal Pezzino also had singles for High Point.

The teams will wrap up the series with a 1 p.m. game on Sunday. Junior Jacob Newberry will pitch for the Panthers. The right hander is 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA this season.