Site: Buies Creek, N.C. (Jim Perry Stadium)
Score: Campbell 16, High Point 8
W: Logan Heintzman (4-0), L: Dawson Place (1-4)
Records: CU 19-11 (14-7 Big South), HPU 11-17 (9-12 Big South)
Next HPU Event: Friday, April 23 — at Radford (Radford, Va.), 6 p.m.
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – A seven-run sixth inning for Campbell University doomed High Point University in a 16-8 loss to the Fighting Camels in Buies Creek on Tuesday evening (April 20).
HPU trailed by three runs entering the sixth but fought back to tie it up in the top half of the inning before Campbell retook the lead in the bottom of the inning. The offensive highlight for High Point on the night was a grand slam from Adam Stuart, the first slam for the Purple and White since Austen Zente hit one in a loss to Wake Forest on May 15, 2018.
Cole Singank led the way offensively with three hits on the day, one of three Panthers with multiple hits on the day. Stuart’s grand slam was one of two extra-base hits as he also roped a double, as did Joe Johnson – who also added a single in the first. Grey Lyttle got the nod on the hill and went five innings, surrendering seven runs, but only three earned, on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts in a no decision.
The Panthers wasted little time getting on the board as Stuart hit his grand slam in the opening frame. Johnson led the game off with a hit on the second pitch of the evening before stealing second. Singsank drew a two-out walk and then both Johnson and Singsank advanced into scoring position when Blake Sutton was hit by a pitch. That brought up Stuart and he delivered with the bases juiced for his second home run of the game and High Point’s first grand slam since the 2018 season for the early 4-0 lead.
Campbell chipped away at the lead through the early innings, getting one back in the first and another back in the third. The Fighting Camels’ first big inning came in the fourth when the hosts scored four unearned runs to take the lead. The leadoff batter reached on an error and advanced to second on a balk before stealing third and scoring on a groundout to third. Four hits in a row brought home three more runs to give Campbell a 6-4 lead. The lead grew to three runs in the fifth on a pair of singles and a walk to make it 7-4.
After four straight innings without a run and just one hit each inning, High Point’s offense woke back up in the sixth with a three-spot to tie it back up. Singsank led the inning off with a single and after two outs the Panthers rattled off three straight hits to bring around the three runs. Justin Ebert pinch hit and singled up the gut to put Singsank on second, who scored on a single through the left side of the infield from Sam Zayicek.
Travis Holt was up next and skied one into shallow right-center that ended up dropping for a bloop double that brought home Ebert. With Zayicek on third, Holt on second, and first base open, Campbell decided to walk Johnson to get to Peyton Carr. Carr ended up grounding out to the pitcher but not before the new Campbell reliever threw an errant pitch behind him to plate Zayicek to tie the game up at seven.
The score didn’t stay tied for long as Campbell immediately retook the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth with seven runs to blow the game wide open. The Fighting Camels scored three runs before the first out of the inning was recorded and then three more before the second out was on the board. Campbell tacked two more on in the bottom of the seventh before the day was done for a total of 16 for the most runs High Point has allowed all season.
High Point heads to Radford this weekend for a three-game series with the Highlanders. The teams will meet on Friday (April 23) at 6 p.m. before playing a doubleheader on Saturday (April 24), beginning at 1 p.m.