HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team picked up a 9-5 win over Campbell in the 2012 Big South Championship on Thursday night at Williard Stadium to advance to the fourth day of the tournament. HPU will face No. 1-seed Coastal Carolina on Friday in the second semifinal game.
“I can’t say enough about the resiliency of the team,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “We came out ready to play. We had outstanding aggression and approach at the plate. Jaime Schultz was sensational again and Joe Goodman did a great job out of the bullpen. I am very proud of the guys and excited to have the opportunity to play on Friday.”
Redshirt-sophomore Jamie Schultz took the ball to start the game for the Panthers and earned the win, going seven innings and allowing just two runs, one earned, on eight hits with two walks with seven strikeouts. Freshman Joe Goodman sealed the win late throwing 1-2/3 innings of scoreless relief with no hits and three strikeouts.
Paul Eyster took the loss for Campbell, lasting just two innings and allowing four runs, one earned on four hits and two walks.
Freshman Mike Miedzianowski went 2-3 and had three RBI while redshirt-junior Sean Wilson went 2-4 and scored three runs. Junior Willie Medina went 2-5 with two RBI.
High Point is just the second No. 7-seed to win over a No. 2-seed in Big South tournament history and the first since 1990. HPU is also the first No. 7-seed among the final four teams since 2000. It is just the third time in team history the Panthers have won two games in the Big South Championship, previously accomplishing this in 2009 and 2010.
High Point improves to 28-30 with the win while Campbell finishes its season with a 41-18 record.
After Campbell jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, HPU came back with four runs in the top of the second to take a 4-1 lead. Josh Spano and Wilson had back-to-back singles and Devin Bujnovsky drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Ryan Retz then hit a soft grounder that was bobbled by the shortstop to drive in Spano and was followed by Miedzianowski who hit a deep sacrifice fly to left to plate Wilson. Medina drove in the final two runs of the frame with a single to left.
Campbell pulled back within two in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Ben McQuown, but the Panthers came back with three runs in the top of the fifth to open a 7-2 lead. Bujnovsky hit an RBI double off the wall in right field and, after an intentional walk to Retz, Miedzianowski picked up two more RBI with a bases-loaded single to right center.
The Panthers loaded the bases again in the top of the sixth inning on two hit-by-pitches and a walk before Retz picked up his second and third RBI of the game with a single up the middle to make the score 9-2.
Campbell threatened in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring three runs and bringing up the tying run with the bases loaded but freshman Joe Goodman managed to strikeout the Camels four and five hitters, David Olson and Nick Ray, looking to escape the jam.
High Point will take on Coastal Carolina on Friday following the conclusion of the game between Liberty and Gardner-Webb which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. If the Panthers win they will play Coastal a second time in a seven-inning elimination game on Friday evening. HPU won one of three games against the Chanticleers this season, picking up an 8-5 win on the road in the first game of the series. Wilson went 2-7 with three runs scored while Medina went 2-5 with two runs scored.