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With a 12-6 win on Sunday the High Point University baseball team completed the sweep of Temple at Williard Stadium. Senior Mike Caldwell got his first win of the season, allowing just one unearned run in six innings of work. Senior Steve Antolik hit a grand slam in the second inning to cap off a 2-4 day at the plate.

“Caldwell was outstanding for us today,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “I can't say enough about what a quality start that was. Our offense really clicked today and we were able to pick up a sweep over a quality Temple team. Hopefully we can carry this momentum in to Tuesday's game at Duke.”

The Panthers improve to 3-5 with the sweep while Temple falls to 3-3. Caldwell scattered five hits and one unearned run over six innings with one walk and two strikeouts for his first win of the season. He moves to 1-1 for the year.

High Point jumped on the board with an eight-run second inning off Temple starter Matt Hockenberry. Antolik led off the inning with a walk and scored on a single by Mike Gragilla which also plated Kyle Mahoney. The Panthers added two more runs to lead 4-0 before Antolik batted for the second time in the inning, this time with the bases loaded. Antolik took Hockenberry's 1-0 pitch over the left centerfield wall for a grand slam, his second home run of the season.

Antolik finished the game 2-4 with four RBI and two runs scored.

Hockenberry gave up a leadoff single to Drew Geissinger in the third inning but retired Gragilla on a fly out to left field. Murray White IV doubled down the left field line forcing Temple to make a pitching change. Zach Batchelor relieved the freshman and gave up a two-RBi single to Mike Mercurio.

Hockenberry gave up 10 runs, all earned, on eight hits and three walks in 2-1/3 innings of work for the loss.
HPU added two more runs in the fifth on RBI singles from Sal Pezzino and Mahoney.

Steven Roche pitched the seventh inning, allowing three unearned runs on two High Point errors to make it a 12-4 game. Steven Schils lasted just 1/3 of an inning, allowing two runs on two hits before Mikel Rodenberg closed out the game with 1-2/3 scoreless innings.

Mercurio finished his impressive weekend at the plate with a 3-4 day on Sunday, scoring two runs and driving in two more. He finished the weekend 8-10 with seven runs scored. Mahoney went 4-5 on Sunday with one RBI and one run scored.

High Point will face Duke on the road Tuesday at 3:15. Last season The Blue Devils beat HPU in both meetings.