Box Score BOX SCORE
PHOTO GALLERY

The High Point University baseball team dropped a 6-2 game to visiting Western Carolina Tuesday night at Williard Stadium. The Panthers held an early lead but the Catamounts put up runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to win the game. Junior Sal Pezzino was 3-4 with a walk for HPU.

“This game showed a very generic version of our team,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “We didn't pitch very well. We got hits but not with runners in scoring position and we made a lot of defense plays that don't show up as errors but were still mistakes. It is unfortunate that in my three seasons at High Point we have yet to play a quality game against Western Carolina.”

Junior Drew Dades took the loss, his second of the season to Western Carolina, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits with one walk and one strikeout in five innings of work. He is now 3-4 on the season. Junior Andrew Blackwell pitched three innings of relief for his first win of the season. He scattered five hits without allowing a run and struck out two batters.

High Point loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning but only plated one run. Ryan Retz struck out looking before Murray White IV singled to center to score Pezzino. Scott Glover grounded in to a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.

WCU catcher Stephen Notaro singled and scored in the top of the second to briefly tie the game but HPU answered with another run in the bottom half of the winning to regain the lead. Kyle Mahoney walked and scored on a wild pitch for the Panthers.

A pair of runs in the fifth gave Western Carolina the lead for good. Austin Schultz scored on a Panther throwing error and Macon Smith came in on a sacrifice fly give the Catamounts a 3-2 lead.

HPU had a chance to regain the lead, loading the bases in the bottom of the fifth but Jeremy Sluder came out of the WCU bullpen and got Mahoney to foul out to end the threat. Sluder went on to retire 11 in a row until Zach Tessier broke through with a double in the ninth inning but the Panthers did not score. Sluder went 3-2/3 innings, allowing one hit and one walk with five strikeouts.

Western Carolina added three runs off Spencer Andrews in 1-1/3 innings. Corey Swickle pitched 1-2/3 scoreless innings and Nick Schumacher threw a hitless ninth inning.

Pezzino was 3-4 with a run scored and a walk and Drew Geissinger and Tessier each had two hits in the game.

The Panthers will face Triad rival UNC Greensboro Wednesday at 6 p.m. at UNCG Baseball Stadium.