HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team dropped game one of the series, 6-5, on Friday night.
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 5, Winthrop
6
Records: High Point (27-24, 13-6) , Winthrop (17-26, 6-12)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "I'm really disappointing with our performance in a lot of different ways. I don't think we were prepared, I don't think we showed up ready to compete and play the way we needed to. We had an early lead and then we had some mental lapses. We were missing signs and had some base running mistakes. On a day like this where the wind is blowing out, Gus pitched well. But he just made four mistakes and its just unfortunate. Credit to them for having pride and just outplaying us in every facet tonight."
Gus Hughes took the ball to face the Winthrop Eagles on Friday night. Hughes was solid for the first four innings as he at one point retired 10 batters in a row. Hughes finished with a line of 7.0 innings pitched, allowing four runs, on six hits, while striking out seven batters.
The Eagles jumped out to an early one run lead after a solo home run by Harrison Wilson that just made its way over the center field wall.
Adam Stuart made it a new ball game as he drove in
Konni Durschlag for the tying run with a hard-line drive falling in front of the center fielder. Both teams finished with one hit a piece as it was a 1-1 game through the first inning.
Hughes settled down to sit down the Eagles in order in the second as he recorded two strikeouts and a groundout to Stuart to finish it off.
A three-run inning for the HPU in the second started with
Miggy Echazarreta as he sent a one out double down the left field line on a full count to set up
Brayden Simpson. Simpson took an inside pitch and floated it out to shallow right field to put the runners on the corners. He then took off to second and drew the throw, but Echazarreta crossed the plate after an errant throw by the Eagles shortstop to try and catch him at home. Riley Huge, the Winthrop starter hit
Cael Chatham with the bases loaded to bring home the Panther's third run of the evening.
Peyton Carr then grounded into a fielder's choice which brought home another run, but Carr beat the throw to first. The Panthers held a 4-1 lead after two.
The third inning brought zeros on the scoreboard for both pitchers as they sent down the bats in order.
Through four innings of play, Hughes had sent down 10 batters in a row with five strikeouts.
Winthrop tallied two runs, on two hits off Hughes in the top of the fifth to bring it back to a one run ball game at, 4-3 High Point. Another two runs came in the sixth off a two-run shot that just made it over the left field wall.
The Eagles held a 5-4 lead through six innings of play.
Once again, the long ball for Winthrop has gone their way as Alen Benhardt hit the fourth home run for the Eagles to extend the lead, 6-4, through seven innings.
Adam Grintz got the call out of the bullpen to work the eighth inning. Grintz continued to dominate on the bump as he sent the Eagles down in order.
Eric Grintz, the brother of Adam, smashed his eighth homer of the season to bring the Panthers to back within one run in the bottom of the eighth. With the home run by Grintz, the 2024 Panthers have now tied the single-season home run record at 77, dating back to 1975.
Grintz on the mound in the top of the ninth shut down the Eagles once again 1-2-3 to bring the Panthers to the plate looking for a walk off.
Durschlag started it off with a single through the right side to get a runner on first. Chatham then hit one 108 MPH up the middle, but the Eagles played him perfectly to record the double play. The closer for Winthrop was able to sit down Carr for the final out of the evening, as they grab a 6-5 win to take game one in High Point.
Up Next: High Point will play game two tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. The senior day ceremony will take place during pre-game.
#GoHPU
