• High Point picked up a 5-2 win at Gardner-Webb on Sunday to close out the weekend series.
• Four Panthers finished with multiple hits, including junior Josh Greene who went 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
• Freshman Andrew Gottfried allowed just one unearned run in 6-2/3 innings to improve to 4-2 on the mound.
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team wrapped up its weekend series at Gardner-Webb with a 5-2 win in Boiling Springs, N.C., on Sunday afternoon. Junior Josh Greene went 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored in the win.
“This win was a must for us this weekend,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “I was proud of the way the guys came out offensively and did a good job of staying within our approach. We were rewarded for it with some runs. Andrew Gottfried was special on the mound. He got us deep into the game then passed it off to Tyler Britton who slammed the door.”
Freshman Andrew Gottfried pitched 6-2/3 innings and allowed just one unearned for the Panthers, improving to 4-2 on the season. Gottfried gave up six hits and two walks while striking out three.
GWU starter Bradley Hallman fell to 4-3 after allowing five earned runs in five innings of work. The right-hander gave up 10 hits and two walks and struck out just one.
High Point improves to 23-13 overall with the win and is in sole possession of second place in the Big South with an 8-4 conference mark. Gardner-Webb is now 25-14 overall and 5-7 in the Big South.
Gardner-Webb took an early 1-0 lead in the first when Collin Thacker scored from third on an error by Gottfried on a pickoff.
Junior Josh Greene gave the Panthers their first lead of the series in the third with a two-run double to the gap in left-center. Freshman JJ Woodard and junior Chris Clare both singled ahead of Greene and came home on the double.
High Point added three more runs in the fifth to extend their lead to 5-1. Clare drove in the first run with an RBI single to score Woodard, who doubled to leadoff the inning. Greene then singled to put two on for senior Dominic Fazio who drove in both with a double down the left-field line.
Gardner-Webb strung together a single by Taylor Best and a double by Tyler Best in the eight inning to pick up its second run of the day, making the score 5-2.
Greene played a role in three of the five HPU runs, finishing 2-4 with a double, a walk, two RBI and a run scored. Three other High Point batters finished with multiple hits on the afternoon as Fazio went 2-4 with a double and two RBI, Clare finished 2-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored and Woodard went 2-3 with a double and two runs scored.
High Point returns home to host back-to-back midweek games against Elon and East Carolina. The Panthers and Phoenix will play on Tuesday, April 19, at 6 p.m., in Williard Stadium. High Point picked up an 8-2 road win over Elon earlier this season.