HPU baseball opens weekend with 3-2 win over Army

• High Point earned its third win of the season in a series opener with a 3-2 victory over Army at Williard Stadium on Friday.
• Freshman Trevor Holloway pitched five innings and struck out a career-high six to earn his first collegiate win.
• Junior Jordan Sergent drove in the winning run with his third home run of the season.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team opened the weekend with a 3-2 win over Army on Friday afternoon at Williard Stadium. Freshman Trevor Holloway struck out six in five innings of work to earn his first collegiate win.

“We had to work around a few situations on the mound today but we had two freshmen in Trevor Holloway and Joe Johnson go out and do it,” head coach Criag Cozart said. “When you hold a team to two runs on a Friday night that is a heck of a job. I am very pleased with what our young guys are doing on the mound.”

Holloway allowed just one earned run on one hit and four walks while striking out six in his five innings of work to earn his first collegiate win. At one point, the right-hander struck out four consecutive Black Knight batters.

Jeremy Mortensen took the loss for Army on the mound, dropping to 0-2 for the season. The left-hander pitched five innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out eight.

High Point moves back above .500 with the win at 5-4 while Army drops to 2-6 for the season. It is the Panthers’ third-straight win to open a series this season.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when High Point got on the board with two runs. Sophomore Conner Dunbar ripped a two-out bases-loaded single to left to drive in both runs for the Panthers in the frame.

After Army got a run back in the top of the fifth, junior Jordan Sergent hit a solo home run in the bottom of the frame to put High Point back up by two, 3-1. Sergent went the other way on a 3-1 pitch and hit a line drive over the wall in left for his third home run of the season.

Army pulled scored one run on a wild pitch in the seventh to pull to within one at 3-2, but freshman Joe Johnson shut the game down, pitching the final 2-2/3 innings and striking out two for his first collegiate save.

High Point and Army continue their three-game series on Saturday, March 4, at Williard Stadium. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.