Box Score Box Score

Liberty starting pitcher Shawn Teufel tossed a complete game, holding the Panthers to four runs on nine hits to lead the Flames over the High Point University baseball team 6-4 Friday at Worthington Stadium. Jamie Serber went 4-2/3 innings in his first loss of the season.

HPU took a 3-1 lead in to the fifth inning but three Panthers errors led to a five-run inning for the Flames and was the difference in the game. HPU pushed across one run in the top of the ninth inning but couldn't complete the comeback, falling 6-4 in Lynchburg, Va. The Panthers fall to 16-11 (3-4 Big South Conference) while Liberty improves to 17-8 (3-2 BSC).

Serber walked the first two batters of the game on eight straight balls. The recipient of the first walk, Curran Redal, came around to score on a one-out single by Nathan Thompson that was just out of reach of Mike Mercurio who was diving to his right. Serber got a fly ball to right field and a strikeout to get out of the first with only one run scoring.

High Point evened the score in the top of the second to make it a 1-1 game. With one out, Max Fulginiti singled through the left side. He advanced to third on a two-out single by Andrew Bartlett and came around to score on Mercurio's single up the middle.

Pablo Rosario picked up two RBI in the third inning with a ground-rule double over the right centerfield wall to score Matt Gantner and Bartlett and put HPU ahead 3-1.

Liberty took the lead back with a five-run fifth inning. Serber took care of the first out with a bouncer back to the pitcher. After back-to-back singles and an error by Fulginiti to advance the runners to second and third, Matt Williams reached on the second error of the inning to load the bases. P.J. Jimenez singled home a run and Doug Bream cleared the bases with a double to right field. Bream would come around to score on another basehit making it a 6-3 game. Serber was lifted from the game and replaced by Corey Swickle. Swickle walked the first batter he faced before recording the final out of the inning on a ground ball to the shortstop.

Serber lasted 4-2/3 innings, allowing six runs, four earned, on nine hits and two strikeouts. Swickle would complete the game, lasting 3-1/3 innings without allowing a run. He scattered three hits and four strikeouts.

Mercurio scored a run in the ninth inning on a groundout by Murray White IV but Teufel struck out the final two HPU batters to end the game.

The teams will be back in action for a double header on Saturday. The first game will begin at 1 p.m. with the second game to follow.