• High Point scored five unanswered runs in a 5-1 win over #20 East Carolina on Wednesday.
• Senior Michael Hennessey allowed just one run in seven innings to earn the win for the Panthers.
• HPU had six extra-base hits in the contest, including two by junior Luke Parker who finished 3-4 at the plate with a double and a triple.
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team scored five unanswered runs to pick up a 5-1 win over #20 East Carolina on Wednesday night at Williard Stadium. Senior Michael Hennessey allowed just one run in seven innings to earn the win for HPU.
“This was a tremendous game tonight,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “We had a great atmosphere here which helped as we faced a top-25 team. I was really proud of our offensive attack. Everyone made heavy contributions which put pressure on the Pirates the entire game. Michael Hennessey was special on the mound for seven innings and Joe Goodman was tremendous, getting us out of a jam in the eighth and shutting the door in the ninth. This was a great team win.”
Hennessey matched his career high with seven innings pitched and allowed just one earned run on four hits and three walks while striking out five. The right-hander threw six-straight scoreless innings after giving up his only run in the first and improved to 3-2 on the season.
Redshirt-senior Joe Goodman got the final four outs, three by strikeout, to earn his team-best fourth save of the season. The right-hander allowed just one walk in 1-1/3 innings of work.
Davis Kirkpatrick took the loss for the Pirates and dropped to 0-2 on the season. Kirkpatrick pitched 3-2/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits.
With the win, High Point is now 6-0 in back-to-back midweek contests. HPU previously swept midweek series against Wright State and La Salle earlier this season and defeated Elon on Tuesday. The Panthers improve to 25-13 overall while East Carolina drops to 24-13.
It was the Pirates that jumped out to the early 1-0 advantage in the first inning when Parker Lamm led off the game with an infield single and advanced to third on a wild pitch and a bunt before scoring on a ground ball to short by Eric Tyler.
High Point scored a run in each of the next three innings to take a 3-1 lead. Junior Nick Capra tied the game in the second with an RBI on a groundout, scoring Carson Jackson who reaching with a double. In the following frame, sophomore Hunter Lee hit an RBI single to score junior Luke Parker who then got an RBI in the fourth inning with a triple to drive in sophomore Austen Zente.
The Panthers tacked on two runs in the fifth to push the lead to 5-1. Junior Chris Clare scored on a Jackson grounder to second and junior Josh Greene came home on a wild pitch.
Six of HPU’s 13 hits on the day went for extra bases as Parker hit a double and triple and Greene, Jackson, Zente and senior Dominic Fazio all had doubles. Parker finished 3-4 on the day and a home run short of the cycle. Jackson went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored while both Clare and Zente had two hits and a run scored.
High Point returns to conference action this weekend with a three-game series at Big South leader #21 Coastal Carolina starting on Friday, April 22, in Conway, S.C. The Panthers will try to earn their first win over CCU since 2014 and their first in Conway since 2012.