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Drew Geissinger hit two home runs to lead the High Point University baseball team to a 16-11 win over Charleston Southern, Saturday in a weather-shortened eight inning game. The Panthers improve to 29-27 (15-12 Big South Conference) with the win in the final game of the regular season.

HPU completed the sweep of the Buccaneers with the eight-inning win. The start of the game was delayed for an hour and 15 minutes and then the game was called after eight innings due to lightning.
Freshman Jared Avidon picked up the win, tossing four innings of relief, allowing one run with three strikeouts.

“It was a tremendous win today for many reasons,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “We accomplished everything what we set out to do in beginning of year. This is exactly the way we want to head in to the conference tournament. We are playing well in most aspects of the game and I am looking forward to continuing that in the tournament.”

This is the first winning season for High Point in the Division I era and the Panthers clinched the No. 4 seed in the Big South Tournament, securing them a bye in the first round. HPU will play No. 3 seed Radford on Wednesday in Rock Hill, S.C.

HPU put up four runs in the second inning, capitalizing on four hits and a throwing error by CSU catcher Jesse Cadenhead. Steve Antolik led off with a single, moved to third on a double by Max Fulginiti and scored on a groundout off the bat of Kyle Mahoney. Fulginiti scored on a wild pitch and Murray White IV kept the inning alive with a double to right center. After a walk to Geissinger the double steal was on and Cadenhead threw the ball in to left field, trying to get White out at third. White scored on the play. Spencer Andrews, in the lineup at third base, singled through the right side to bring in Geissinger for his first RBI of the season.

Nate Roberts led off the third inning with a double to center field, stole third base and scored on a Fulginiti single to left field. It was Roberts' 84 run scored of the season, tying the Big South single season record set by Charlie Broad of Armstrong State in 1987.

Geissinger hit his first home run of the season in the fourth inning to make it a 6-4 game. Charleston Southern answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth, heading in to the fifth inning down 6-5.

Matt Gantner hit his eighth home run of the season in the fifth inning, a solo shot to left center field.

With a 7-5 lead in the bottom of the fifth, Yevoli gave up a solo home run to Walt Quattlebaum to lead off the inning before loading the bases on two singles and an error. Jaren Sustar cleared the bases with a double to left center and without recording an out in the inning Yevoli was relieved by Avidon.

Avidon got the first three batters he faced out, but two fly balls allowed Sustar to score and put the Buccaneers ahead 10-7.

Yevoli pitched four innings, allowing 10 runs, seven earned on 10 hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

The Panthers took the lead with a six-run seventh inning, capped off by Geissinger's second home run of the game. Geissinger hit a three-run blast to left field to score Sal Pezzino, Mahoney and Andrews.
The Panthers added two runs in the eighth. Gantner had an RBI single to score Mike Mercurio and Gantner scored later in the inning on a wild pitch.

Senior Andrew White took the loss for Charleston Southern, allowing 11 runs, seven earned, in 6-2/3 innings of work.

Geissinger had a walk, a stolen base and a single to go with his two home runs. He finished the day 3-3 with five RBI and three runs scored.

“I was just looking for pitches to hit and drive and they ended up going out of the ballpark,” Geissinger said. “This was a good, hard fought team win and it gives us momentum going in to the conference tournament.”

Fulginiti went 3-4 with two doubles, giving him 25 on the season, one ahead of Gantner who has 24 to finish the regular season.

HPU will face Radford in the first game of the Big South Tournament hosted by Winthrop in Rock Hill, S.C. on Wednesday. Radford took two of three from High Point in the regular season.