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The High Point University baseball team loaded the bases in the ninth inning and pushed across one run but Presbyterian center fielder Nathan Chong made a diving catch to end the game and give the Blue Hose a 6-5 win. Presbyterian has won the first two games in the Big South series at Williard Stadium this weekend.

High Point battled back from a 6-1 deficit with three runs in the eighth and one more in the ninth. The Panthers loaded the bases for Murray White IV who lined a ball in to center field but Chong made the diving catch to end the game.

“This game is simple,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “When you have the bases loaded you have to drive runners in and we haven't done that this weekend. We will keep fighting to find our offensive rhythm and try and win the last game in the series. Presbyterian College has played hard this weekend and deserves credit for that.”

Sophomore Jared Avidon took the loss, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits in 5-1/3 innings. He had two strikeouts and no walks in the loss to bring his record for the season to 1-1. Freshman Bud Jeter got the win for the Blue Hose, allowing one run on four hits in seven innings of work to improve to 4-1 this season.

Presbyterian put up five runs in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie. Two runs were credited to Avidon and three to reliever Mikel Rodenberg. Rodenberg inherited a runner at third base but hit the first batter he faced and walked the next to load the bases. A bases-loaded error brought home a run and Andrew Williams drove in two with a single up the middle to give the Blue Hose a 6-1 lead.

High Point used four relievers after Rodenberg, who kept the Blue Hose scoreless and gave up just one hit in the final three innings. Freshman Preston Packrall inherited two runners in the eighth with one out but induced a double play on his second pitch to Mack Hite to get out of the inning. Packrall also pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Robbie Gilles, Drew Geissinger and Mike Mercurio all picked up RBIs in the eighth inning to make it a 6-4 game. HPU still had the bases loaded with one out when Kyle Mahoney grounded in to a double play to end the threat.

Geissinger had an RBI single in the ninth inning to score Maverick Miles. Geissinger was at first with Mike Gragilla at second and Spencer Andrews at third when Chong's diving catch ended the game.

Geissinger finished the day 3-5 with two RBI. High Point left 13 men on base. The Panthers were also hit by seven pitches on the day, the most in a single game in school history. It broke the record HPU set last year against Richmond when the team was hit six times. Three of HPU's five runs on Saturday were scored by runners who had reached on a hit by pitch.

The Panthers (12-9, 0-2 Big South) will send senior Mike Caldwell to the mound on Sunday, trying to avoid the sweep. He won his third straight start of the season last Sunday against North Carolina A&T. The senior had a perfect game through four innings before the Aggies broke it up in the fifth. Caldwell has given up three earned runs with 11 strikeouts in his last three starts (20-2/3 innings). Opponents are hitting .192 against him in his last three outings. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Williard Stadium.