• High Point fell in midweek action against UNC Wilmington by a score of 5-1 on Wednesday.
• Junior Chris Clare recorded the Panthers’ only two hits and drove in the lone run on the night.
• Freshman Cooper Jeffers took the loss, despite striking out six in four innings of work.
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team dropped a 5-1 decision to UNC Wilmington in midweek action on Wednesday night at Williard Stadium. Junior Chris Clare got the Panthers’ only two hits in the contest.
“We never got started offensively tonight,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “They hit two home runs while we made five errors and got only two hits. I don’t know anywhere in this universe where you can win a baseball game that way. I thought Cooper Jeffers competed well against some good hitters and our bullpen was outstanding.”
Freshman Cooper Jeffers dropped to 2-2 on the season after giving up five runs, three earned on six hits and walk while striking out six. Seven HPU pitchers combined to throw five innings of shutout baseball out of the bullpen, striking out six and allowing just five hits.
Justin Crump got the win for the Seahawks and improved to 2-1. Crump pitched five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks and striking out four.
The Panthers fall to 22-11 overall with the loss while UNCW improves to 20-9.
UNC Wilmington scored the first run of the game on a two-out error by sophomore Hunter Lee in the second then tacked on four runs in the third to take an early 5-0 lead. Gavin Stupienski hit an RBI single to drive in the first run in the third. Nick Feights and Casey Golden then followed with back-to-back home runs to put the Seahawks up five.
The score remained 5-0 until the bottom of the ninth when Clare followed a leadoff walk by senior Tim Mansfield with a double into the corner in right to give the Panthers their only run of the night.
Clare finished 2-4 with a double and HPU’s only RBI. The HPU shortstop is now hitting over .400 in the Panthers’ last 12 games.
High Point returns to Big South play this weekend with a three-game series against Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C., beginning on Friday, April 15. First pitch in the series opener is set for 6 p.m.