HPU Baseball Runs Away With A 25-3 Win At North Carolina A&T:Kyle Brandenburg(Ragsdale HS) HR for HPU

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team scored nine runs in the second against North Carolina A&T and never looked back, running away for a 25-3 win in Greensboro, N.C., on Wednesday night. The 25 runs scored by the Panthers match the HPU Div. I single-game record.

“The team came out with a great mentality and energy tonight,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “I was concerned about today’s game because our guys are heading into exams this week. Our approach at the plate was outstanding all night long and our pitchers did a nice job. I am very proud of our effort tonight. We are going to figure out a way to bottle this up and save it for when we hit the field against Radford.”

Junior Conor Lourey came out of the pen and pitched three perfect innings with four strikeouts to improve to 6-0 on the season. Freshman Cas Silber started the game and pitched three innings, allowing one run on three hits and six walks while striking out two.

Joshua Thompson started the game for North Carolina A&T and took the loss, dropping to 0-1 on the season. Thompson pitched 1-2/3 innings and allowed nine runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks while striking out two.

With the win, High Point and North Carolina A&T split the home-and-home series. HPU improves to 24-16 overall heading into the exam break while the Aggies drops to 15-26 on the season with the loss.

High Point scored nine runs in the second inning to take a 9-0 lead over the Aggies. Senior Kyle Brandenburg hit a three-run home run, junior Tony Fortier-Bensen hit a solo home run and freshman Chris Clare had a two-run double for the Panthers in the frame.

North Carolina A&T got a run back in the bottom of the second with an RBI single by Dylan Hipp, but HPU came right back with two runs in the fifth to open its lead to 11-1. After two quick outs in the inning, Clare was hit by a pitch and McDermott doubled, giving High Point runners at second and third. Brandenburg then hit a hard shot to second that was misplayed, allowing both runners to score.

High Point continued its offensive onslaught in the next inning, loading the bases and scoring six runs in the frame to push its lead to 17-1. Freshman Alex Gross had a pinch-hit RBI single and McDermott and Greene both drove in two runs with two-out singles.

In the seventh, the Panthers added three more runs to increase its lead to 20-1. Fortier-Bensen, Gross and Clare all picked up RBIs in the inning for HPU.

The Aggie’s Luke Tendler got two runs back in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run home run, his sixth of the season. A two-out walk by freshman Andre Scrubb allowed Tendler to come to the plate and the shortstop hit a deep shot over the wall in right.

HPU scored five runs in the eighth to make the score 25-3. Freshman Mitch Reeves, Fortier-Bensen, Clare and McDermott all had RBI singles in the inning for the Panthers.

The 25 runs scored by High Point ties the team’s Div. I record for runs in a game. HPU previously set the record in a 25-16 win over Eastern Kentucky on March 12, 2010.

Nine different Panthers recorded a hit in the game, led by Clare, who went 4-5 with four RBI and two runs scored, and Fortier-Bensen, who went 2-4 with three RBI and five runs scored. McDermott and Brandenburg each finished with three RBI while Angelis went 5-6 with four runs scored.

High Point returns to action on Friday, May 2, when the team opens a three-game home series against Radford. First pitch in the opening game of the series is set for 6 p.m.