Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE

Mike Caldwell pitched seven shutout innings to lead the High Point University baseball team to a 7-0 win over Radford Saturday in the second game of the double header. Six of the Panthers runs were scored with two outs.

“Anytime you are able to get a shutout it is a great win,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “Caldwell had another special outing and Spencer Andrews did a great job coming in to finish the game. We have been swinging the bat well for the last three games and Robbie Gilles and Ryan Retz came through in clutch situations today. Now we have to figure out how to win the series tomorrow.”

Caldwell went seven innings, allowing six hits with one walk and four strikeouts. He improved to 5-2 for the season. Mark Peterson took the loss for Radford, allowing three runs, one earned, in six innings. He had one walk and five strikeouts in his fourth loss of the season.

Caldwell gave up two hits in the first inning but didn't surrender a run thanks to a diving play by Drew Geissinger in left field. Ryan Burgess sent Caldwell's pitch in to left field for what looked like an RBI hit but Geissinger robbed him with a diving catch to end the inning. After a leadoff hit in the second inning by Carl Travers, Caldwell retired eight in a row. Travers ended that streak with a leadoff single in the fifth but he was erased on a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Both starting pitchers put up zeros for the first three innings with High Point breaking through for one run in the fourth. Gilles worked a two-out single to center field and came in to score on a single to right center field by Retz. The Panthers added two more two-out runs in the fifth inning. With two outs Peterson intentionally walked Steve Antolik to load the bases for Gilles. With two strikes Gilles singled up the middle to put the Panthers on top 3-0.

The Highlanders had their best chance to score in the sixth inning, loading the bases with two outs against Caldwell. Blake Sipe led off the inning with a single but Caldwell struck out Matt Hillsinger and got a fly ball off the bat of Brett Mollenhauer before running in to trouble. Caldwell hit a batter and gave up just his 13th walk of the season to load the bases. After a mound visit by Cozart, Caldwell got a fly ball to left field to end the inning without the Highlanders scoring.

Preston Packrall worked a leadoff walk from Radford relief pitcher Jason Patten in the seventh inning. Pezzino singled through the right side to move Packrall to third and Geissinger picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly.

Retz drove in two more runs in the ninth inning with a single up the middle as the Panthers rolled to a 7-0 win.
Andrews pitched the final two innings of the game, allowing three hits without giving up a run.

Retz finished the game 2-5 with three RBI and Gilles was 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.

High Point (23-28, 8-15 Big South) and Radford (27-22, 11-12 Big South) will play the final game of the series Sunday at 11 a.m.