Box Score Box Score

Senior Jamie Serber improved to 5-2 and Mikel Rodenberg earned his eighth save of the season as the High Point University baseball team handed Presbyterian College a 7-4 loss Friday in Clinton, S.C. HPU improves to 25-25 (11-11 Big South Conference) with the win in the opening game of the Big South series.

“This was a tough win today,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “Serber battled all day without his best stuff and got stronger as the game went on. Offensively, we did a good job of getting runners on early and defensively it was huge to turn five double plays. This is just game one and we still have two more tough games this weekend.”

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Nate Roberts reached on a two-out error and came around to score on Steve Antolik's single through the left side.

HPU added four runs in the second on four singles and two hit by pitches. Kyle Mahoney and Mike Mercurio singled and scored and Murray White IV and Pablo Rosario were hit by pitches and scored.

Presbyterian College's Mack Hite led off the fourth inning with a single, moving to third on Kenny Bryant's double. Hite was thrown out at home by Matt Gantner when he tried to tag up on Tony Micklon's fly out to right field. Bryant scored for PC on Nate Horton's single through the right side to make it a 6-1 game.
 
Serber allowed just one run on six hits through the seventh inning. In the bottom of the seventh he struck out the side with Jesse Harmon and Carl Della Torre going down swinging and Jeff Tatum looking at strike three to end the inning.

Rosario led off the eighth inning with his second triple of the season and Presbyterian went to the bullpen after Mercurio grounded out to third base for the first out of the inning. Roberts took the first pitch from reliever Jordan Pace in to left field to score Rosario and extend HPU's lead to 7-1.

Serber picked up his sixth strikeout of the game to start the eighth before Hite reached on an error by Gantner. Kenny Bryant singled to center field and Tony Micklon made it a 7-4 game with a three-run homer to left field.

Serber pitched 7-1/3 innings, allowing four runs with six strikeouts and three walks.

Corey Swickle came out of the bullpen after the home run and loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a hit batter before getting Della Torre to ground into a double play to end the threat.

Rodenberg came out in the ninth and set the Blue Hose down in order for his eighth save of the season.
Roberts went 3-5 with three RBI in the game and Gantner, White and Drew Geissinger all had two hits in the game.

HPU and Presbyterian will play the second game of the series Saturday at 2 p.m. Freshman Jaime Schultz will take the mound for High Point.