Box Score Bill Manion drove in Spencer Andrews in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift High Point University over Temple by a score of 5-4 Friday at Coy O. Williard Sr. Stadium.
Both teams came out swinging putting up a run apiece in the first frame. RJ Chlebnikow was able to register two quick outs for HPU before Temple scored their run. Sean Barksdale singled on a soft chopper to short stop. He proceeded to steal second and scored on Mark Ortega's RBI double down the leftfield line.
HPU quickly countered with Alfie Wheeler drawing a walk to leadoff the game and advancing a base on a Jeff Cowan sacrifice bunt. A groundout brought up Billy Alvino who singled to shortstop and a great defensive play by Ortega kept the ball from reaching the outfield and kept Wheeler at third. Kyle Mahoney stroked a liner into leftfield on the first pitch to knot the game at one all.
After a scoreless inning for both teams, Temple put up three runs capped off by an Ortega homerun. Jamie Abercrombie led off with a single through the left side. Chlebnikow got the next hitter to strike out, and then picked off Abercrombie for two outs. The Owls got a walk by Carmen Del Mastro followed up by another Barksdale single. Ortega had the big two-out hit, driving the pitch over the fence for his first homerun of the season. Chlebnikow would settle down not giving up another run in the final five innings of work allowing just two hits and striking out four during that time.
The Panthers offense was throttled down during the same stretch before striking for two runs in the eighth and ninth inning. Wheeler and Cowan set the table for Manion hitting a double and drawing a walk, respectively. Manion doubled to deep right-center allowing both runners to score and inch the Panthers back at 4-3.
Zach Scott worked a perfect half inning recording two strikeouts in the top of the ninth in relief of Chlebnikow. Murray White IV started off the inning doubling down the right field line off Temple closer Kyle Monahan. Eric Marion put down a perfect bunt sacrificing White to third. With a drawn in infield, pinch-hitter Rob Gilles swung at the first pitch he saw and hit a hard groundball through the legs of Del Mastro, bringing in White to tie the game. Spencer Andrews pinch-ran for Gilles and stole second base. Wheeler walked and Cowan was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Manion. He hit a hard ball up the middle which Ortega got to, but was unable to make a clean flip to second base allowing all runners to reach safely and bringing in Andrews for the game-winner.
"Tonight was another hard fought game," said head coach Craig Cozart. "Thanks to RJ's ability to settle in and get us deep in the game, we were able to create some offensive opportunities late in the game and push the winning run across in the ninth. Our ability to play clean defense and throw strikes will keep us in most games. It's just a matter of time until we really get rolling on the offensive end. Temple is a well coached team. This was a quality win for our guys tonight."
Chlebnikow worked eight innings giving up four runs on eight hits and registering five strikeouts. Manion picked up three RBI on the night and six different Panthers picked up a hit on the night. Wheeler and Mahoney each drew two walks apiece.
Temple was led offensively by Ortega who had a pair of hits including a three-run homerun. He drove in all four runs for the Owls. Barksdale and Abercrombie both picked up two hits as well. Monahan suffered the loss working 0.1 innings while not allowing an earned run.
The two teams square-off again tomorrow afternoon at Williard Stadium as Jamie Serber takes the hill for the Panthers and will be countered by Dan Moller. It is the first of three High Point University athletic events Saturday and will kick-off the action at noon. The women's basketball team will host Winthrop at 4:00 p.m., while the men's basketball team will host VMI in their regular season finale tipping off at 7:00 p.m.
