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Senior Jamie Serber improved to 2-0 on the season and Murray White IV went 5-5, extending his hitting streak to 12 games as the High Point University baseball team beat Eastern Kentucky 25-16 Friday at Williard Stadium. Every HPU starter got a hit in the ball game. High Point improves to 9-3, continuing the best start in the Division I era.

“It was a tremendous offensive performance,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “With the rain and bad weather the game was a mess but you will take every win you can get. There are two hard games left this weekend. We need to clean some things up on the mound and keep playing tough.”

After Serber gave up two runs in the first inning, HPU answered with an eight-run first frame. White singled to second base to extend his hitting streak and was brought home when Nate Roberts doubled down the left field line. The Panthers would bat around, scoring six more runs to bring White up to bat again. This time White singled through the right side, picking up an RBI to make it an 8-2 lead.

Serber put up four scoreless innings after that, finally allowing one run in the sixth inning on two hits. In the seventh inning the Colonels put up seven runs on Serber but HPU maintained a 19-10 lead. Serber improved to 2-0 on the season with 6-1/3 innings pitched, giving up eight runs on two hits with four strikeouts.

“I came back out after giving up the runs in the first and just tried to give my team a chance to win it,” Serber said. “Of course it was great that my team put up eight runs in the first. It is always more comfortable pitching with the lead.”

High Point put up four more runs in the third inning and with a single by Kyle Mahoney in the three-run fourth inning every HPU starting position player had at least one hit in the game.

White finished the night 5-5 with three RBI and four runs score before he was replaced at third base by freshman Kyle Wigmore. Wigmore also got his first collegiate hit in the ball game.

“I have been struggling a little at the plate the last few games,” White said. “Tonight I really tried to focus in on the hitting philosophy and do what we are good at, hitting line drives and keeping the ball out of the air and the hits came from that.”

Senior center fielder Max Fulginiti went 3-4 with three walks and five RBI for his sixth multi-hit game of the season.

“I made a little adjustment before this game,” Fulginiti said. “I just tried to simplify things at the plate and let the pitches come to me instead of being so aggressive and it paid off tonight.”

With the 25-16 win HPU improves to 9-3 on the season while Eastern Kentucky falls to 6-5. The two teams will face off on Saturday at noon at Williard Stadium.