Box Score Box Score
Photo Gallery
High Point continued its best start in the Division I era, improving to 8-2 on the season with a 5-4 win over Richmond on Tuesday at Williard Stadium. Four HPU pitchers combined to give up four runs on eight hits while striking out 12 Richmond batters, with
Kyle Starnes picking up his first win of the season.
Murray White IV went 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
“This was a great team win tonight,” said head coach
Craig Cozart. “The sign of a good team is when they win both the slugfests and the close ones. We had some very special defensive plays tonight, tremendous pitching and our offense capitalized on every situation, scoring runs off the hit batters. Richmond is a very physical, offensive team and they pitch hard. I am proud of the way we performed all the way around.”
The difference in the game was six HPU batters that were hit by pitches, with three of them coming around to score. In the fifth inning
Andrew Bartlett started the inning with a free pass after being hit by a 2-2 pitch. A single by White, which extended his hitting streak to 10 games, moved Bartlett to second. After the base hit Richmond starter Billy Falasco was replaced by Brian Farrell. Farrell threw a wild pitch allowing both runners to move up a base and a throwing error by the catcher brought Bartlett in to score and put HPU up 2-1.
Nate Roberts would single up the middle scoring White for the second run of the inning and a 3-1 lead.
HPU starter
Mike Caldwell came back out for the sixth inning, having given up one run in the first five. With one out he gave up a single to third base and the next batter for Richmond, Jacob Mayers, homered to tie the score at 3-3. Caldwell got the next batter to ground out to second before being relieved by Starnes. Caldwell finished the day with a career-high seven strikeouts. Starnes picked up the final out of the inning on a fly ball to right field.
“First I would like to give thanks to God,” Caldwell said. “Tonight we really played well as a team. Every time they scored, we answered back and that speaks to the character of this team. My goal was to pitch with aggression and I just tried to go out and do that every inning. After Sunday's appearance that is what coach and I talked about so I really tried to build off Sunday.”
With the score tied 3-3, High Point capitalized on two more hit batters in the bottom of the sixth to regain a 5-3 lead.
Steve Antolik was the first runner aboard after getting hit by a 3-1 pitch from Farrell.
Sal Pezzino, in the game at shortstop, sacrificed Antolik to second.
Zach Tessier came out of the HPU dugout as a pinch hitter and also reached base after being hit by a pitch. The second sacrifice of the inning moved Antolik to third and pinch runner
Spencer Andrews to second. White came up and doubled to left center bringing home Antolik and Andrews and putting HPU back on top 5-3.
Starnes set the Richmond batters down in order in the seventh, finishing the night with two strikeouts in 1-1/3 innings of work for his first win of the season.
“Coach and I have been working on throwing my curve ball to lefties and tonight I just came out and executed what we had been practicing,” Starnes said. “I just pounded the zone and tried to give my team a chance to win.”
After striking out the first two batters in the eighth inning,
Corey Swickle, gave up a solo homer to Chris Cowell but got the third out of the inning with High Point still on top 5-4.
Mikel Rodenberg earned his third save of the season with a perfect ninth inning.
White finished the night 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored and Antolik scored two runs for High Point.
High Point continues its best start in the Division I era, improving to 8-2 on the season while Richmond falls to 6-5. The two teams will play again Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Williard Stadium. Freshman
Zach Haile will get his first start for HPU while junior Anthony Cafagna will start for Richmond.
