HPU baseball’s comeback falls short in 4-3 loss at Campbell

• The Panthers dropped their third Big South series of the season with a 4-3 loss at Campbell on Saturday.
• High Point scored two runs in the ninth and had the game-tying run in scoring position but was unable to get it home.
• Redshirt-junior Tim Mansfield drove in both runs in the ninth with a two-run double and finished 2-4 with a walk in the game, his second multi-hit game of the series.

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team’s comeback attempt at Campbell came up short as the Panthers fell by a score of 4-3 on Saturday afternoon in Buies Creek, N.C.

“We are having a difficult time getting the big hit right now,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “However, hitting is contagious and it only takes one swing to get us going. I thought Andre Scrubb showed a lot of fight today on the mound and gave us a chance but we couldn’t cash in. I know our guys will be ready to battle tomorrow and came away with a win.”

High Point scored twice in the ninth on an RBI double by redshirt-junior Tim Mansfield to close to within one at 4-3, but junior Chris Clare flew out to strand Mansfield at second as the tying run. Redshirt-junior Zach Vandergirft and junior Josh Greene both scored on the Mansfield double after reaching on a single and a walk.

Junior Andre Scrubb took the loss for High Point despite allowing just three runs, two earned, in six innings of work. Scrubb gave up eight hits and two walks while striking out seven and dropped to 7-5 on the season.

Grant Yost earned the win for Campbell and improved to 7-3 for the year. Yost gave up one run on eight hits and a walk and struck out four in eight innings of work. Erik Drowse got his second save of the weekend and his sixth of the season despite allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in his one inning of work.

The loss drops High Point o 29-20 overall and 12-8 in the Big South while Campbell improves to 26-23 overall and 13-7 in conference play.

Neither team was able to get on the board until the sixth when Campbell pushed three runs across to take a 3-0 lead. The first two runs scored on a double by Ben Calvano who then scored the third run on an RBI single by Junior Snow.

The Panthers got a run back in the eighth inning on a solo home run by senior Dominic Fazio, his fourth of the season and his third in the past four games. The senior pulled the first pitch he saw over the wall in left for the solo shot.

Campbell got an insurance run in the eighth when an error by freshman JJ Woodard on a double steal allowed Wyse to score, pushing the Camel lead to 4-1.

Mansfield reached base three times in the game, finishing 2-4 with a walk and two RBI. Fazio ended the day 2-4 at the plate with a home run and a double. Clare, Vandergrift and Woodard all recorded multiple hits in the loss.

High Point wraps up its three-game series at Campbell on Sunday, May 14, at 2 p.m. The Panthers will try to avoid being swept for the first time this season. HPU has been down 2-0 this season against UNCG and Gardner-Webb and picked up Sunday wins on both occasions.