Box Score Box Score

The High Point University baseball team took North Carolina to extra innings but couldn't pull out the win over the ACC-opponent as the Tar Heels pulled out a 6-2 win in the tenth inning. Junior Brian Jones pitched seven innings for the Panthers, holding UNC to two runs on five hits.

“When you strike out 13 times in a game, with many of them coming with less than two outs and runners in scoring position you won't win a lot of baseball games,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “Give credit to the UNC pitchers, they were aggressive and came right at us but offensively we didn't get it done. Brian Jones pitched the game of his life and Mikel Rodenberg got us out of a jam but they scored last. We better be ready for Duke tomorrow.

Corey Swickle came out of the bullpen in the tenth inning and loaded the bases with no outs on a bloop single in to right field and an error by Sal Pezzino. UNC short stop Ryan Graepel came to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a walk-off grand slam to win the game 6-2 for the Tar Heels.

Swickle falls to 4-2 with the loss while UNC reliever Greg Holt got the win with 1-1/3 innings of relief.
High Point pushed across one run in the second inning off UNC starter Garrett Davis. Max Fulginiti came up with a two-out double to keep the inning alive, his 22nd double of the season. Andrew Bartlett, Pezzino and Murray White IV all earned walks with White's free pass bringing Fulginiti home.

Jones didn't give up a hit to Carolina until the bottom of the fourth inning. Levi Michael singled to lead off the inning but was erased by Kyle Mahoney attempting to steal second base. North Carolina tied the score in the fifth. Dillon Hazlett doubled to lead off the inning and came around to score on a throwing error to first by Mahoney.

UNC took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning on a solo home run by catcher Jacob Stallings off Jones. Mike Cavasinni followed the home run with a double but Jones got out of trouble with a bouncer back to the mound.

Jones gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits with five strikeouts in the game. It is his second consecutive start without a decision.

HPU answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score at 2-2. Matt Gantner punched a single up the middle to lead off the eighth inning. Mahoney put down a bunt up the first base line to move Gantner to second but UNC pitcher Colin Bates threw the ball past the first baseman and Gantner was able to score all the way from first, tying the game.

Kyle Starnes relieved Jones in the eighth inning, but put runners on first and second with only one out before he was replaced by HPU closer Mikel Rodenberg. Rodenberg got Hazlett to ground out to the short stop on his first pitch, but both the runners advanced on the play. Ryan Graepel earned a four-pitch walk from Rodenberg before pinch hitter Tommy Coyle flew out to center field to end the inning.

The Panthers put two runners on in the ninth inning, White walked and Nate Roberts was hit by a pitch, but two different UNC pitchers combined to strike out the side and send the game to the bottom of the ninth still tied at 2-2.

Pinch-hitter Seth Baldwin led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to right field on the first pitch he saw from Rodenberg. Rodenberg stranded Bsdlwin, retiring the next three batters, in order.

In the top of the 10th inning Fulginiti singled to left field and Drew Geissinger was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with only one out. Pezzino and White both struck out to end the inning, stranding the runners on base. HPU left 13 runners on base.

The Panthers will return to Williard Stadium Wednesday to host Duke at 6 p.m.