CHARLESTON, S.C. – A victory in extra innings gave the High Point University baseball team its first conference win on Sunday afternoon, 12-10.
Site: Nielsen Field
Score: High Point 12, Charleston Southern 10
Records: High Point (7-13, 1-2), Charleston Southern (10-10, 2-1)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "That was a critical win and a really gutsy performance for our program. I'm so proud of the response from our guys, not only after two tough losses but also numerous times throughout this game where things just weren't going our way. It seemed like we were fighting for momentum and could never hold it for long. There were some great individual efforts today…
Cael Chatham carried our bullpen after playing every inning at 3rd during the series, to come in and get us 3 big 0's was the difference.
Miggy Echazarreta got the big hit off the bench and continues to show that the game doesn't get too big for him. Finally, what an incredible play made by Stuart at the end to preserve the win. A game of inches went the Panthers way today."
Tyler Romanias got the start for the Sunday match with the Buccaneers. In what was a bullpen game for the Panthers, Romanias only went 1.2 innings, allowing three runs, on three hits, striking out two batters.
This time, CSU got on the board in the first as they had two runners cross the plate in the bottom of the first inning. In the second, they tallied another run to make it a 3-0 game heading to the third inning.
In the third inning,
Cael Chatham sent a ball down the right field line recording in a bases clearing triple.
Konni Durschlag and
Frank Kelly came in to score.
Eric Grintz sent a ball to center field that resulted in an out, but Chatham tagged from third to even up the ball game at three.
High Point jumped out to its first lead of the game in the fourth inning as they scored three more runs to bring it to 6-3. Chatham walked which brought home
Brayden Simpson. Grintz landed one in no man's land behind first base to score two more runs.
CSU brought it back to 6-4 in the bottom half of the fourth.
In the fifth,
Dawson Harman who came in for
Sam Schner in the outfield doubled down the left field line scoring
Charlie Klingler. Kelly put down a few perfectly placed bunts for hits today as one of them brought home Simpson from third. Kelly attempted to steal second after his bunt but was caught stealing. Harman went home on the throw and his run counted as the ninth HPU run to make it a 9-4 game.
The Bucs climbed their way back to a making it a 9-8 game in the fifth off a few hits, a wild pitch, and a home run.
Grintz sent a ball 420 feet to left center for a solo home run to jump to a 10-8 lead.
Charleston Southern tied the game in the eighth off a single to right field scoring two runners.
Chatham came in to pitch the ninth inning as he was able to hold the Bucs off the scoreboard forcing extra innings.
A scoreless 10
th inning brought HPU to bat in the 11
th. Chatham singled to right center and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Grintz walked and so did
Adam Stuart.
Miggy Echazarreta came to the plate with bases loaded and singled to right field scoring Chatham and Grintz to take a 12-10 lead.
Chatham shut down the Bucs on the mound as Stuart made a diving play at short to record the last out at second to get the win on Sunday afternoon.
Up Next: High Point will head to top ranked Wake Forest for a mid-week matchup on Tuesday, March 19. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
#GoHPU
