HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team lost the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader with Radford by a score of 8-3. Radford got to HPU starter Matt Armstead early, scoring five runs off the righthander in his shortest start of the season.
“We got outpitched today,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “We didn’t engage in any aspect of the game and got beat. Now we have to go out and find a way to win the series.”
Armstead lasted just 3-2/3 innings, allowing five runs, four earned on nine hits. He struck out three batters without a walk. He evens his record at 3-3 with the loss.
Tyler Costello stays perfect for the Highlanders with his sixth win of the season. The redshirt-freshman went 7-1/3 innings and allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits. He finished with four walks and two strikeouts.
Senior Sal Pezzino went 3-5 in the game with a run scored and junior Sean Wilson went 2-4 from the plate for the Panthers. Pezzino and Wilson combined for five of High Point’s six hits.
The Highlanders jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with two runs in the top of the first and another in the top of the third before HPU managed to get on the board with a run in the bottom of the third. Freshman Dane McDermott was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and came around to score on an RBI single to right centerfield by Ryan Retz.
RU would respond with two runs in the top of the next inning forcing High Point to go to its bullpen as Jordan Foster came in to get the Panthers out of the inning.
Radford continued to add to its lead scoring three runs off John Maloney who pitched 2-2/3 innings and allowed five hits while striking out a career-high five batters.
High Point loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning and picked up two runs as Radford reliever Derrick Brewer hit freshman Mike Miedzianowski and walked McDermott to make the score 8-3.
The second game of the double header and the rubber game of the three-game series is underway between High Point and Radford.