Box Score Billy Alvino doubled off the leftfield wall in the 11th inning to break a 7-7 tie plating Bill Manion in a game being continued from Sunday to give High Point an 8-7 victory over UNC Asheville at Greenwood Field.
UNCA jumped out to 3-0 lead after three innings. In the second inning, Derrick Hopkins singled through the right side and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jordan Lurie singled to leftfield moving Hopkins up to third and scored on a passed ball. Kevin Weidenbacher singled in Hopkins giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead after two innings. Beau Zinman doubled down the leftfield line to start off the third inning. A groundout moved him up to third and Zinman scored on a wild pitch.
High Point responded back posting five runs in the fourth and a single run in the fifth to take a 6-3 advantage. The fourth began with Alfie Wheeler doubling to centerfield and Manion drew a one-out walk. Kyle Mahoney reached on a fielding error which plated Wheeler and Manion moved up to third. A single by Max Fulginiti scored Manion. A foul out to first base and a strikeout to Murray White IV would have ended the inning, but the ball got away from the catcher and White was able to reach loading the bases. Sal Pezzino was the second Panther in the inning to reach on an error moving every runner up a base. Spencer Andrews capped the scoring in the inning with a two-run single to leftfield. An inning later, Mahoney reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to third on a single by Fulginiti. Mahoney crossed home on an Alvino single to leftfield.
Asheville scored the next four runs to take a 7-6 lead heading into the ninth. Justin Schumer singled in the first run in the sixth and doubled in the next two runs knotting the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth. Weidenbacher, who beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt for a single scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
Wheeler got things started in the ninth with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Manion drew his third walk of the game and Mahoney was hit by a pitch loading the bases. Fulginiti hit a sac fly to plating Manion to tie the game 7-7 after nine innings. A scoreless frame in the 10th before Alvino delivered the game-winning hit.
A quartet of Panthers had two-hit games while eight different batters recorded a hit. Alvino, Fulginiti and Mahoney extended their hitting streaks to 8, 10 and 12 games, respectively. Mike Caldwell started the game working seven innings allowing four runs. Jeremy Berg picked up the win in relief allowing three runs (two earned) in three innings. Jamie Serber picked up his first collegiate save working a 1-2-3 inning in the 11th inning.
Danny Baatz picked up four hits while Weidenbacher and Zinman each had three apiece. Michael Bogaert received a no-decision tossing eight innings allowing six runs (three earned). Ryan Dull suffered the loss surrendering one run on three hits in one inning of work.
High Point will be looking to complete their third straight sweep over UNC Asheville with Game three of the series starting at 3:45 p.m.
