Box Score ROCK HILL, S.C. — The High Point University baseball team traveled down south to take on Winthrop in Big South action. After giving up a lead through 2/3 of the game, the Panthers came up short in the bottom of the ninth.
Site: The Winthrop Ballpark
Score: High Point 6, Winthrop 7
Records: High Point 16-32 (9-12), Winthrop 25-25 (13-9)
After Winthrop had runners on in the first two innings, starting pitcher
Gus Hughes ended both top half's of the opening innings with strikeouts to keep the game scoreless.
Big stick
Cael Chatham rocked a two-run homer out in the top of the third to take the 2-0 lead of the game, earning his third home run in the last five games. The Eagles answered in the bottom of the third with a single run homer to make it a one run game, 2-1.
Patrick Matthews got on base with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Cole Singsank brought Matthews home with a shot into the left field corner for a stand-up double. Panthers went back up two runs to make it 3-1.
Hughes pitched through 6.2 innings with the 3-2 lead before
Lucas Glover came in as relief in the bottom of the seventh.
With two runners on and two outs, Winthrop's hit up the middle scored two runs to take the Eagles first lead of the night, 4-3. A hard hit at the Panthers second basemen allowed Winthrop to tack on another run before the final out.
Almost hitting out his second homer of the game, Chatham sported a double with a hit off the center field wall. Advancing to third with a hit from
Adam Stuart, a wild pitch scored Chatham to cut Winthrop's lead to one and make it 5-4. Loading the bases with one out, an error by the Eagles third basemen allowed HPU to tie the game at five all. With the bases still loaded and two outs,
Brett Ahalt took one for the team to get back on top, 6-5.
Winthrop answered in the bottom half of the eighth, tying the game at six all. A big time strikeout by
Dalton Williams held the runner on third from scoring going into the ninth.
In a pressure situation in the bottom of the ninth, Winthrop had the winning run on third with two outs. A hit up the middle for the Eagles ended the game 7-6.
Up Next: The Panthers and Eagles return to action on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm.
#GoHPU
