HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Panthers recognized 16 seniors on senior day this afternoon as the High Point University baseball team defeat Winthrop, 11-7. High Point also broke the single-season home run record as
Peyton Carr hit the teams 78
th long ball of the season.
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 11, Winthrop 7
Records: High Point (28-24, 14-6), Winthrop (17-27,6-13)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "Much better job by our guys today with dealing with adversity and showing the grit and belief we've become accustomed to expecting throughout the year. I was proud of Wozniak for finding a way to stack a few 0's in the middle of the game to buy time for our offense to come alive. We did a much better job or stacking quality at bats and being willing to pass it on to the next guy. That's when we are at our best. I still feel like there was meat left on the bone as our approach could stand to be better but we knew it wouldn't be easy and I'm proud of the response after last night."
Brett Wozniak took the ball to start game two of the three game series verse the Winthrop Eagles. Wozniak shoved 5.1 innings, allowing six runs, on nine hits, and earning himself the win to improve his record to 7-1.
After Wozniak got out of the first with no damage,
Konni Durschlag started off the Panthers bats with a hard-hit single through the left side.
Cael Chatham then sent a bases clearing double to the right field corner as the speedy Durschlag scored from first to give the Panthers an early lead. The next man up was Carr who shot one up the middle to score Chatham. With one out,
Charlie Klingler sent a stand up double to the left center wall to score
Adam Stuart from first for a 3-0 HPU lead.
In the second, Wozniak found himself in a tad bit of trouble as two runners got on base, but Charlie Evans ended up knocking one over the wall to tie the game at three. A 5-4-3 double play and a great scoop by
Patrick Matthews at first would then retire the side for the Eagles.
A picture-perfect bunt down the third base line by Matthews allowed
Brayden Simpson to round second and slide in safely to an open third base. Durschlag then sent a SAC fly to right field to score Simpson who tagged from third for the go ahead run.
The Eagles came home to score three in the third inning to make it a 6-4 game. All three of those runs were unearned. Wozniak escaped more damage as he sent Abe Affholter back to the dugout looking at a strike.
The Panthers put up a zero in the bottom of third as the Eagles led 6-4 through three innings of play. Wozniak worked his way to sit down the Eagles in the top of the fourth to throw a zero on the board.
Through four innings of play, the Eagles led the Panthers, 6-4.
The top of the fifth ended after Evans singled to the right center gap but was thrown out trying to take second base for the third out.
After a lead off walk by Carr and advancing to second off a wild pitch, Klingler drove him home with his third hit of the afternoon for an RBI single.
Eric Grintz sent a single through the left side and then both Klingler and Grintz advanced on a passed ball to put two runners in scoring position. The Eagles walked
Miggy Echazarreta to load the bases for Simpson with one out. Simpson sent a grounder to the pitcher who recorded the out at home. The next man up, Matthews shot one through the left side to score Echazarreta and Grintz to take a 7-6 lead.
Dalton Olsovsky relieved Wozniak with one runner on and one out. Olsovsky managed to escape the inning on a strikeout leaving two runners on after hitting his first batter and allowing a man on after a fielder's choice.
In the bottom of the sixth, Chatham led off with a single followed by a Carr two-run home run to take a 9-6 lead. That home run broke the single-season home run record as the 2024 Panthers have now hit 78 home runs this season. The record was previously set at 77 home runs by the 1975 Panthers. Echazarreta then forced an errant throw on a double play attempt as Grintz scored on the throwing error. Through six innings of play, the Panthers were on top, 10-6.
Olsovksy got his way out of the seventh with a zero on the board.
A lead off blast from Simpson extended the Panthers lead, 11-6 in the bottom of the seventh.
A run for the Eagles came across in the top of the eighth to cut the Panthers lead to four.
David Keith came out of the bullpen to close out the Eagles in the top of the ninth as would run into a bit of trouble. Coach Hammond pulled Keith and in came Chatham with two runners on and no one out. Chatham picked up his fifth save of the year to grab one back from Winthrop with an 11-7 victory on Saturday afternoon.
Up Next: Game three of the series will be tomorrow at 1 p.m.
#GoHPU
