Box Score (PDF)
• Senior
Austen Zente finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and two RBI on his first home run of the season
• Junior
Cooper Jeffers and Senior
Rion Murrah combined to toss three scoreless, hitless innings of relief
• The Panthers return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 21 when they travel to Greensboro, N.C. to take on North Carolina A&T at 4 p.m.
HIGH POINT, N.C. - Senior
Austen Zente collected three hits, including his first home run of the season, but it was not enough as the High Point University baseball team dropped the series finale to James Madison, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at Williard Stadium.
"I have to give JMU a lot of credit for what they did this weekend, but we have to take a hard look at ourselves," head coach
Craig Cozart said. "We are a veteran club and we failed to get things done when it mattered most. This series handed us a gut check right out of the gates this season and I expect this team to respond in a profound way. We have a long way to go."
Zente led off the bottom of the first with a double, roped a single to left in the third and belted a two-run shot in the last of the fifth for his three hits on the day. The three-hit outing tied his career high while the dinger marked his 14th career home run, second-most among current position players.
The home run in the last of the fifth gave HPU (0-3) its first lead of the series at 2-1. JMU (3-0) had struck first in the top of the fourth on a single, walk, sacrifice bunt, and sacrifice fly.
The lead was short-lived, though, as the Dukes responded with a pair of home runs in the top of the sixth, including a go-ahead two-run shot from Harry Brown. Michael Morgan followed two batters later with a solo homer to put JMU ahead 4-2.
From there, High Point's combination of junior
Cooper Jeffers and senior
Rion Murrah retired nine of the final 10 hitters faced with three strikeouts. Redshirt-sophomore
Harrison Smith (0-1) was dealt the loss for HPU, giving up three runs on two hits and two walks in 2.2 innings. Senior
Jordan Sergent started for the Panthers, lasting 3.1 frames while allowing a run on two hits with a pair of punchouts.
HPU took advantage of a pair of James Madison errors in the last of the seventh to get back to within a run. Senior
Hunter Lee reached on a fielding error, stole second, moved to third on a throwing error and ultimately scored on a sac fly from Sergent.
Lee led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to right and moved to third on a ground out, but was stranded there as the tying run.
Nick Stewart (1-0) picked up the victory for the Dukes, giving up two runs on two hits with four stirkeouts and a pair of walks in 4.2 innings of relief. Nate Robertson earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.
HPU hits the road for the first time this season when they travel to Greensboro, N.C. to take on North Carolina A&T on Wednesday, Feb. 21. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
#GoHPU
