Box Score HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University baseball team completed the 2023 season on Saturday afternoon at Williard Stadium against UNC Asheville. After exchanging the lead back-and-forth, High Point's 11 hits were not enough to push the Panthers over the Bulldogs, falling short 6-9 in the end.
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 9 , UNC Asheville 6
Records: High Point 20-34 (11-14), UNC Asheville 26-26 (13-13)
Howell Polk, the freshman from Birmingham, Alabama opened on the mound for the Panthers. The Bulldogs took an early two-run lead with a home run that barely fell fair of the right field pole as Polk worked a strikeout to end the top half of the first.
High Point did what they needed to do to add a run to the board. Leadoff batter
Brett Ahalt started the inning with a hard shot single to the third basemen.
Javon Fields followed up with a single through the right side for runners on first and second. Hitting into a double play,
Cael Chatham earned the RBI to close the gap to 2-1 after the first.
The Bulldogs scored another run in the top of the third with another home run, this time a solo homer over left center field.
With two outs in the bottom of the third, back-to-back hits from Chatham and
Adam Stuart keep the Panthers within one run of UNC Asheville at 3-2.
After going down 5-3 in the top of the fifth, the Panthers battled back at the plate in the sixth. Pinch hitting for
Josh Deslauriers,
Charlie Klingler was called on at the plate with bases loaded. Answering the call, a single through the left side scored HPU's first run of the inning. Ahalt's single to center field added another solo run to make it 5-4. A big hit from Fields off the right field wall rounded two runners for High Point's first lead of the game at 6-5.
After strong sixth inning for the Panthers, the Bulldogs took the lead back in the top of the eighth, scoring four runs on three hits.
Braden Halladay came in for relief for
Dalton Williams to get HPU out of a bine.
Down 9-6 going into the final two innings, High Point's two hits was not enough to add any runs for the Panthers. Appearances from seniors
Jack Nathan and
CJ Neese helped close out the top of the ninth.
This concludes High Point baseball's 2023 season.
#GoHPU
