HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team defeats Presbyterian, 10-6, to sweep the Blue Hose for the Panthers third weekend sweep of the season. High Point now holds sole possession of second place in the Big South Conference.
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 10, Presbyterian 6
Records: High Point (22-18, 11-4), Presbyterian (19-21, 10-5)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "Can't say it enough, it was talked about all weekend about making a statement. Two teams battling here at the top and we had an opportunity to send a message and make a statement. To get a sweep, it is something you don't ever go into the weekend with that sort of expectation. It's a strong team and I believe in us. We played really well all weekend long and it's what you come away with."
In a weekend the team batted .370, hit 10 home runs, on 40 hits, and 37 RBI's, the Panthers secured another sweep over a Big South Conference contender. Five Panthers hit above .400 this weekend while
Cael Chatham,
Eric Grintz, and
Peyton Carr tallied for eight of the ten home runs.
Matt Little earned his fourth win of the year as he pitched a strong six innings, allowing two runs, on five hits, striking out seven batters.
Presbyterian jumped out to the early lead as a run came home on a ground out to
Adam Stuart at shortstop.
The Panthers took the one run lead as
Konni Durschlag doubled to center field in the third inning to score
Brayden Simpson and
Miggy Echazarreta.
Durschlag would eventually advance to third and would be driven home as he tagged up on a Stuart SAC fly to center. Panthers held a 3-1 lead.
Charlie Klingler then sent a double to left field to score another.
In the fourth,
Frank Kelly singled to second base which allowed Simpson to cross the plate. Chatham with an 0-2 count sent a ball over the center field batters eye to lift the lead to 7-1. Chatham's ninth home run came off the bat at 110 MPH and traveled 432 feet.
The Blue Hose tacked on one run in the fifth to make it a 7-2 game.
Chatham with a 2-1 count in the sixth, hit his second home run and team leading 10
th of the season for a two-run shot to extend the HPU lead to seven. Chatham's home runs tallied 852 feet of distance in tonight's contest.
Still in the sixth inning, Klingler made it an eight-run game with a single through the right side, scoring Stuart from second.
Adam Grintz took over on the mound in the seventh as he escaped just allowing one hit.
Noah Carter relieved Grintz in the eighth and got two outs before
Joey Tuttoilmondo took over.
Presbyterian added a late grand slam in the eighth to make it a four-run game, 10-6.
Tuttoilmondo sent the Blue Hose packing in the ninth to win it for the Panthers and seal the deal on yet, another weekend sweep.
Up Next: High Point will travel to Charlotte, N.C. to meet with Queens University on Tuesday, April 23 at 5 p.m.
#GoHPU
