Box Score A five-run eighth inning proved costly as the High Point baseball team suffered a 12-6 defeat at the College of Charleston on Saturday evening.
High Point falls to 2-3 on the year while the Cougars improve to 2-0. The two teams conclude their three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Patriots Points Stadium.
High Point finished the game with six runs on nine hits with Randy Schwarts and Billy Aguiar earning two hits each. Schwartz belted the Panther's first homer of the season in the seventh. Chris Norwood and Chris Marks both drove in two runs for the Panthers in the losing effort. Sophomore Eammon Portice suffered the loss after allowing six runs in four innings of work.
The Cougars jumped out to an early lead in the second as they put up six runs including a Jess Easterling grand slam in their half of the inning. High Point responded quickly as they scored three runs of their own in the top half of the third. Charleston added another run in the top of bottom of the sixth to push the lead to four.
The Panthers scored once in the seventh and twice in the eighth to get within a run of Charleston at 7-6. But the Cougars shut the door on any hopes of a comeback in the bottom of the eighth as CofC posted five runs to make the score 12-6.
Quinn Monsma earned his first victory with the Cougars as he pitched three innings striking out three batters in relief. Danny Meszaros came in the eighth inning in relief to earn the save. High Point falls to 2-3 on the year with Eammon Portice getting the loss.
Easterling's grand slam was only a part of his three hit, four runs batted in and two runs scored performance. Alex Garabedian hit a homerun to left center to drive in three runs and Chris Campbell had three hits driving in two runs for the Cougars.
Nick Chigges started the game for the Cougars going four and two-thirds innings striking out seven batters. Chigges, Monsma, and Meszaros combined for 12 strikeouts on the night.
After Sunday's final game with College of Charleston, HPU continues its 11-game season opening road swing with a game at Wofford on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
