HIGH POINT, N.C. –
Peyton Carr returned to the Panthers lineup with two hits tonight as the High Point University baseball team took game one against the Longwood Lancers on Friday night, 6-3.
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 6, Longwood 3
Records: High Point (18-16, 7-3), Longwood (15-19, 3-7)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "Friday night wins are not supposed to be easy. But they are very valuable and sets the tone. I was just proud to come out and start the series the way we did. This was big for us and it sets the tone and now we have a slight advantage. We've got to turn the page and get ready to win the series tomorrow."
Gus Hughes once again earns a win as he finished with 6.1 innings pitched, allowing three runs, on three hits, striking out seven batters. Hughes moves to 4-4 on the year.
High Point opened the scoring in the second inning as
Charlie Klingler sent his 100
th career hit over the left field wall for a two-run bomb. His third home run on the season.
The Panthers worked good at-bats the first two innings that it forced Longwood to remove their starter after just two innings of work. The Lancers took one back from High Point in the fourth as Tanner Thomas singled to right field bringing home a run. HPU still held a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
Frank Kelly extended the High Point lead to 3-1 after he did his job sending a SAC fly to center allowing Carr to tag from third.
Carr returned to the HPU lineup after being out all year with an injury. He recorded his first hit back in the bottom of the fifth as he lined one 109 MPH off the bat up the middle for a single.
"The guy is an incredible hitter," Hammond said. "There's no other way around it. We've seen it for years now, we just hadn't seen it in games because of his injuries. But I'm so proud of him with the work he has put in."
High Point fed off that energy and put up a crooked number in the fifth. Klingler reached on a fielding error as Carr scored from third.
Eric Grintz then shot a single to center scoring
Adam Stuart. The Panthers extended the lead to 5-1.
Longwood added another run in the seventh off a solo home run to right field.
Noah Carter came in and relieved Hughes in the seventh with one out. Carter was able to get the Panthers out of the inning with minimal damage as just one more runner crossed the plate. Longwood still trailed 5-3.
In the bottom half of the seventh, Klingler sent a fly ball to left field with runners on second and third.
Sam Schner who pinch ran for Carr tagged up from third for the sixth HPU run of the game.
Dalton Olsovsky pitched a scoreless top half of the eighth and then
Cael Chatham closed it out in the ninth earning his third save of the year and the Panthers fourth win in a row.
Up Next: High Point is back tomorrow at 4 p.m. for game two against the Lancers.
#GoHPU
