Longwood Outlasts HPU Baseball In Extra Innings

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team fell to Longwood in 11 innings on Saturday at Williard Stadium. The Panthers rallied to tie the game in the ninth before losing to the Lancers, 7-4, in extras. Senior Willie Medina went 3-6 with two runs scored.

“When you get to the third game of a conference series you have to find a way to win,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “We gave up two earned runs in 11 innings but only managed to score four runs on 16 hits. We are getting to the point in the season where we shouldn’t be making the same mistakes. Our backs are against the wall and we have to start fighting back.”

Medina doubled to lead off the ninth inning and came in to score on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Josh Spano that tie the game 4-4. In the 11th inning Longwood scored three runs on two HPU errors to take the game and the series.

Redshirt-junior Malcolm Clapsaddle took the tough-luck loss for High Point. He pitched 4-2/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs, one earned, on two hits with five strikeouts. He entered the game in the sixth inning and didn’t allow a hit until the 11th.

Travis Burnette earned the win for Longwood with two innings of relief. He allowed three hits to improve his record to 3-3.

The Lancers picked up their first hit off Clapsaddle with one out in the 11th inning. Matt Dickason singled through the left side and came in to score the game-winning run when senior Devin Bujnovsky misplayed a ball in left field off the bat of Scott Burkett. Sophomore Joe Goodman came in to face Kyri Washington who also reached on an error. Burkett and Washington both came around to score when Travis Biddix doubled down the left field line to push the Lancers’ lead to 7-4.

Longwood scored two unearned runs in the first to jump out to a quick lead. HPU got one run back in the bottom half of the inning. Medina led off the frame with a single and came around to score to make it a 2-1 game.

Senior Scott Glover was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning and came in to score on an RBI single from Bujnovsky that tied the game 2-2. Longwood immediately took back the lead in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Dickason.

Both teams scored a run in the eighth inning to send the game to the ninth with Longwood ahead 4-3.

Sophomore Dane McDermott finished the game with three hits and Angelis went 2-5 with one run scored and one RBI. For Longwood, Dickason went 3-5 with two runs scored and two RBI.

The Panthers (15-17, 3-6 Big South) will play a midweek series with Wake Forest. HPU will host the Demon Deacons on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and head to Winston-Salem on Wednesday.