HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team dropped a 7-5 contest to North Carolina A&T on Wednesday at Williard Stadium. High Point scored two runs after a 43-minute rain delay in the seventh inning but the Aggies held on for the win.
“We didn’t do anything to earn the win tonight,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “The most disappointing thing was our inability to compete on the mound. With the exceptions of Adam Pratson and Jaime Schultz, no one took the mound with any kind of presence.”
After the rain delay, Andrew Bartlett reached on an error and came around to score to make it a 6-4 game in the seventh inning. The Aggies got the run back in the top of the eighth when Luke Tendler hit a solo homer off Nick Schumacher.
Ryne Rush led off the eighth inning with a double to leftfield, attempting to spark an HPU rally. He would score the final run of the game, crossing the plate when Dane McDermott reached on an error. The Panthers left two on in the eighth and nine in the game.
Junior Kyle Wigmore allowed one run in 2-1/3 innings of relief but took the loss. He drops to 0-1 on the season. He walked three and gave up two hits.
Aggies starting pitcher Ruben Torrellas earned his first win of the season to improve to 1-3 on the season. He allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits while walking three and striking out two.
The Panthers record stands at 20-12 while North Carolina A&T improves to 10-18.
High Point briefly tied the game 3-3 with a run in the second inning and two more in the third. Devin Bujnovsky reached on catcher’s interference to lead off the second and Bartlett drove him home with an RBI single to centerfield.
Sal Pezzino had an RBI double and came around to score to tie the game 3-3 in the third inning.
N.C. A&T took the lead back in the next half inning. Michael Radford led off the inning with a bunt single. Wigmore walked three A&T batters to bring home a run. Harrison Phillips entered the game with two outs and the bases still loaded, striking out Bo McMillan to end the inning.
The Aggies added two more runs in the fifth inning off Phillips before he was relieved by Adam Pratson. The junior righthander kept N.C. A&T off the scoreboard for 2-1/3 innings before the rain came in. Pratson allowed two hits while striking out five.
Jaime Schultz pitched the final 1-2/3 innings of the game, striking out three while giving up one hit.
Rush finished the game 2-5 with a run scored and one RBI. Pezzino drove in two runs and scored on.
The Panthers return to Williard Stadium on Friday for the first game in the three-game set with Big South opponent Radford. Friday’s first pitch is set for 6 p.m. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.