Box Score BOX SCORE

Murray White IV drove in the game-winning run in the top of the ninth and Corey Swickle struck out the side in the bottom half of the inning to lift the High Point University baseball team to an 8-7 win over UNC Asheville Friday at Greenwood Field.

“That win showed a tremendous amount of heart,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “Cody Allen battled for us on the mound, but we continue to get hurt by one bad inning. To respond like we did in the ninth inning was amazing and this is the type of win that will hopefully get us rolling in the final stretch of the season. Sal Pezzino was an offensive spark plug in his first game back from injury and Corey Swickle did a great job out of the bullpen. I am incredibly proud of this team tonight.”

The Bulldogs scored five runs in the eighth inning to take a 7-5 lead but HPU responded in the ninth inning, scoring three runs for an 8-7 win.

Robbie Gilles had a pinch-hit single to lead off the ninth and Pezzino reached on an error. HPU loaded the bases on a bunt single by Drew Geissinger and Steve Antolik and Scott Glover had RBI singles to tie the game at 7-7. With the game knotted at 7-7 Asheville brought Robert McIntosh in to pitch and he gave up a sacrifice fly to White, putting the Panthers ahead 8-7.

In the bottom of the ninth Swickle quickly struck out the first two batters looking and after a walk to Ian Graham got pinch hitter Nick Callazo to go down swinging to end the game. Swickle improved to 3-3 with the win, going 1-2/3 innings. He struck out four of the five batters he faced.

Nick Schumacher and John Maloney were responsible for UNCA's five run eighth inning. Schumacher gave up two runs and Maloney gave up three while only retiring one batter. Swickle took the mound with one out and a runner on first base and quickly got the second out when pinch runner Eli Miller was thrown out trying to steal second. Beau Zinman struck out looking to end the inning.

UNC Asheville took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on HPU starter Cody Allen. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with no outs and Zinman drove in a run with a single to right field. Patrick Koontz drove in the second run on a fielder's choice. Allen was able to prevent further damage, catching Zinman in a run down when he tried to steal home and ending the inning with a fly out to right field.

Pezzino led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to right field, the first of his career to put the to cut UNC Asheville's lead to 2-1. HPU tied up the game later in the inning on an RBI single by Ryan Retz to score Antolik.

High Point took the lead in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by Pezzino that scored Kyle Mahoney. Mahoney had been hit by a pitch to reach first. Antolik singled up the middle to score Spencer Andrews to make it a 4-2 Panther lead.

White led off the sixth inning with a single up the middle and scored on a groundout by Mahoney, extending the Panthers' lead to 5-2.

The Bulldogs threatened in the bottom of the seventh but were unable to score. With two outs Allen gave up a single and hit two batters to load the bases before getting Patrick Koontz to fly out to center field to end the inning.

Allen went seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

Pezzino finished the game 2-2 with two runs scored and two RBI in his first game back after missing the last 15 games due to injury. Antolik was 3-5 with two RBI.

High Point improves to 18-18 (5-8 Big South Conference) while UNC Asheville falls to 13-21 (5-8 BSC). The second game of the series will be played Saturday at 2 p.m.