Site: Williard Stadium (High Point, N.C.)
Game 1 Score: High Point 0, Toledo 6
Game 2 Score: High Point 5, Toledo 4
Records: High Point (1-6, 0-0), Toledo (3-4, 0-0)
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team picked up their first win of the Hammond era as they earned the split with Toledo in Saturday's doubleheader.
Teddy Merritt and
Sam Garcia each pitched 4.2 innings in the win while freshman
Everett Vaughan picked up the win on the mound for HPU. The Panthers recorded 10 wins
Head coach
Joey Hammond: "It's good to get this first one under our belt. Our guys did a great job of fighting, they've been doing that the entire time. We've been in a lot of our games, we've seen them come through and execute at the end. A lot of unbelievable individual efforts tonight. I think
Teddy Merritt did a great job of keeping us in the game early.
Sam Garcia, I can't say enough, he came in and dominated, did an unbelievable job to give our offense a chance to kind of catch up and get back into the game.
Everett Vaughan, I mean for a freshman to come in here with the bases loaded, one out jam and to get out of it says a lot. And
David Coleman had a lot of good individual at bats. And we kept coming, we kept stacking quality at bats. We've talked about this, but we were rewarded for our fight and our games came through. It's about turning the page now, we've got to turn it around for tomorrow. We've got DK (
David Keith) on the mound tomorrow and we feel really good about that matchup. We expect to come out with really good energy again and hopefully build off of this one.
Panther Particulars – Game 1
HPU and Toledo traded zeros through the first two innings until Toledo scored two runs in the top of the third. The Panthers could not respond in the bottom half of the inning as batters were retired in order.
Toledo plated another run in the top of the fourth, taking the 3-0 lead.
Cole Singsank singled to left center in the bottom of the fourth, but HPU could not find a way to score.
Despite a Toledo single up the middle,
Parker Dean retired the side to hold the Rockets in the fifth. HPU drew back-to-back walks in the sixth inning from
Blake Sutton and Singsank reached base with two-outs, but a strikeout ended the threat.
Toledo would double their runs in the top of the eighth as a throwing error allowed the Rockets to plate one before a two-run homer gave the visitors the 6-0 lead that would seal the game.
Panther Particulars – Game 2
Toledo jumped out to an early 3-run lead in the second inning off an RBI-groundout, double and a single in game two of the doubleheader. HPU answered the call in the bottom half of the inning as
Peyton Carr and
Cole Singsank singled to put runners at first and second. Carr scored on
David Coleman's single to left field before a double play ended the inning.
The Panthers plated another run in the bottom of the third as
Cameron Lee singled and
Javon Fields walked. Runners advanced to second and third on stolen bases before
Blake Sutton's sacrifice fly to right field scored Lee to pull HPU back within 3-2.
HPU could not plate another run through the fourth and fifth innings, but the Rockets scored another run off a solo shot in the top of the fifth. Sutton walked to lead off the bottom of the sixth, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Carr's double to cut the lead back to one run, 4-3. Carr advanced to third on
Sam Zayicek's groundout. Coleman walked and stole second to put both runners in scoring position when
Jackson Melton singled through the left side to score Carr and tie the game at four runs apiece.
Both defenses refused to surrender a run through the remaining three innings, which forced the game to extra innings. Toledo threatened to score in the top of the 10
th, as back-to-back singles put runners at first and second. A walk loaded the bases, but
Everett Vaughan's gutsy performance on the mound earned a bases-loaded pop up and a flyout to end the inning and give the Panther bats a chance to take the game.
Adam Stuart earned his first hit of the day with a double to right field to lead off the inning. The Rockets intentionally walked Sutton but was out at second on a fielder's choice. A strikeout left Stuart at third and pinch runner
Josh Deslauriers on first with two outs.
Justin Ebert drew a full-count walk to advance Deslauriers and load the bases. Coleman's second walk of the game on a 3-1 count walked in the run and gave HPU the walk-off win in Williard Stadium.
#GoHPU
