Box Score Box Score

The Panthers jumped out to an early five-run lead over the first-seeded Coastal Carolina Chanticleers but CCU rallied back to a 15-9 win over the High Point University baseball team Friday in the Big South Conference Tournament. High Point will now face Liberty in an elimination game. The winner of the game will play Coastal Carolina Saturday in the championship game.

“Our guys played very hard today,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “But for every pitcher we put out there Coastal Carolina had an offensive answer. It shows how talented they are because they can beat you in so many ways. We will find a way to win tonight and see Coastal again tomorrow.”

The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, capitalizing on two walks to Pablo Rosario and Nate Roberts. Matt Gantner singled to score Rosario and Kyle Mahoney picked up two RBI with a single up the middle.

Mike Mercurio, extended the lead to 4-0 with a solo home run off Conway in the top of the second inning. His first career home run was to left center field against the Chanticleers.

Al Yevoli retired the first seven batters of the game before Chance Gilmore singled with one out in the third inning. He came all the way around to score on a double to right center off the bat of Rich Witten before Yevoli got a strikeout and a line out to second base to end the inning.

HPU extended the lead to 6-1 with two runs in the top of the fourth. Rosario and Mahoney both singled and scored in the frame.

The Chanticleer bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth when Jose Iglesias led off with a double to right center. Tommy La Stella and Taylor Motter both walked to load the bases. Yevoli thought he had strike three on Motter but the umpire called it a ball and Daniel Bowman came to the plate with the bases loaded. Bowman took the first pitch from Yevoli over the left field wall for a grand slam, making it a 6-5 HPU lead.

Yevoli lasted 3-2/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits with three strikeouts.

Mahoney drove in his third run of the game in the fifth inning, grounding out to short stop to score Gantner who had led off with a single.

CCU tied the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back solo home runs off Corey Swickle. Scott Woodward and Iglesias both left the park to tie the game.

A three-run sixth inning put Coastal Carolina ahead 10-7 with the Chanticleers scoring two off reliever Kyle Starnes and another on a balk by Spencer Andrews.

Starnes was tagged with the loss, falling to 3-3 on the season. He lasted just one inning, allowing two runs on three hits.

CCU added five runs in the eighth off Jared Avidon to extend the lead to 15-7. Mercurio and Roberts both singled and scored in the ninth to make the final score 15-9.

Mercurio went 3-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and Mahoney went 2-5 with three RBI.

High Point will send freshman Steve Roche to the mound against Liberty and a do or die game against the Flames. HPU beat Liberty 2-1 on Thursday in the tournament.