HPU Baseball Clinches Series Win Over Coastal Carolina With 11-8 Win

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team scored nine runs in the first two innings on its way to an 11-8 win over Coastal Carolina in the second game of a double header on Saturday night at Williard Stadium. Junior Spencer Angelis led HPU, going 3-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.

“Tonight’s game wasn’t the prettiest ball game after two stellar games to start the series, but I don’t care how we do it as long as we find a way to win the series,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “I was proud of our guys’ effort in a really difficult game. Coastal Carolina played extremely hard. The is a great way to start the conference season.”

The win gives HPU a 2-1 series win over Coastal Carolina, the preseason Big South South Division favorite. It is the Panthers’ first series win over Coastal since winning two out of three at home against the Chanticleers in 2011.

HPU improves to 12-7 overall and 2-1 in the Big South with the win while Coastal Carolina drops to 9-10 overall and 1-2 in conference play.

Freshman Andre Scrubb battled through a difficult outing to earn his first collegiate win, improving to 1-3 on the season. Scrubb pitched 5-1/3 innings and allowed five earned runs on seven hits and five walks while striking out seven. Senior John Maloney pitched the final 3-1/3 innings to earn his third save of the season. Maloney allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits and a walk while striking out one.

Cole Schaefer lasted just 1/3 of an inning, taking the loss for CCU. Schafer gave up four earned runs on two hits and two walks.

High Point jumped on the Chanticleers early in the game, scoring sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring six runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Panthers quickly loaded the bases with back-to-back singles by junior Josh Spano and sophomore Tim Mansfield and a walk by Angelis. A wild pitch by Schaefer scored HPU’s first run then the Panthers stacked four-straight RBI singles as juniors Dane McDermott and Tony Fortier-Bensen each drove in one, senior Kyle Brandenburg drove in two and freshman Josh Greene drove in one.

Coastal scored once in the top of the second on an RBI single by Tyler Chadwick in the top of the second, but High Point came right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame to push the lead to 9-1. The Panthers took advantage of several CCU miscues in the inning, as all three runs that scored were unearned. Angelis scored his second run of the game on a throwing error by the CCU second baseman and both freshman Brenden Rivera and McDermott scored when a throw from third was muffed by the CCU first baseman and rolled up the right field line.

A three-run home run by Coastal’s Zach Remillard cut the HPU lead to 9-4 in the top of the third before Angelis struck with an RBI double in the bottom of the frame to open the lead back to six at 10-4. Spano walked with one out in the inning and came around to score on the hit by Angelis.

Coastal scored one run in the sixth on an RBI single by Chadwick but Angelis once again had an answer with an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to once again score Spano.

Coastal scored three time in the top of the eighth and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth but were unable to close the gap as the Panthers ended the game with a double play to take the series.

Spano went 2-4 in the win and matched his career-high with three runs scored. Greene, Mansfield and Fortier-Bensen joined Angelis and Spano with multiple hits as Greene went 2-5 with an RBI, Mansfield went 2-5 with a run scored and Fortier-Bensen went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

High Point wraps up its current eight-game home stand this week with a home game against North Carolina A&T on Wednesday, March 19. The Panthers are 5-2 through the first seven games of the home stand with two weekend series wins. First pitch in the game against the Aggies is set for 6 p.m.