Box Score BOX SCORE

The High Point University baseball team dropped a 4-0 game to No. 12 North Carolina Wednesday at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. Six different pitchers took the mound for High Point in the loss.

“I am very pleased with the performance of the pitching staff tonight,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “We competed on the mound and defensively tonight but we continue to struggle offensively. We are going to mix some things up at practice tomorrow and be ready for Gardner-Webb this weekend.”

The Tar Heels got on the board with back-to-back two-out hits in the second inning. Corey Swickle gave up a single to Jesse Wiertzbicki who stole second and came around to score on a double by Brian Holberton.

Swickle went two innings in his third start of the season, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout. He took the loss, falling to 1-2 on the season.

Drew Dades took over in the third and retired the first four batters he faced before running in to trouble in the fourth inning. With one out he walked Jacob Stallings and gave up a two-run homer to Colin Moran to put Carolina ahead 3-0.

High Point had chances to score in the first and sixth innings but continued to struggle getting runners in. The Panthers had two runners on with one out in the first inning but Ryan Retz grounded in to a double play to end the threat. Mike Mercurio led off the sixth inning with a single through the left side, advancing all the way to third before the inning ended when Kyle Mahoney popped up to the catcher.

Preston Packrall pitched a scoreless fifth and Nick Schumacher kept the Tarheels hitless in the sixth.

Tom Zengel led off the seventh inning with a triple off Spencer Andrews and pinch runner Jeff Bouton scored on a sacrifice fly. With two outs Al Yevoli took the mound. He got the third out in the seventh and pitched a perfect eighth as well.

Mercurio finished the night 2-4. Scott Glover and Mahoney were the only other Panthers with hits in the game.

It is the first time High Point has been shutout since April 13, 2008 when the Panthers took a 3-0 loss at Winthrop.

The Panthers (13-10, 1-2 Big South Conference) will travel to Boiling Springs, N.C. this weekend for a three-game series with Gardner-Webb. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.