BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. –For the first time since 2018, the Panthers have reached 30 wins in the regular season as the High Point University baseball team defeated Gardner-Webb, 3-2, in game one on Thursday night.
Site: John Henry Moss Stadium
Score: High Point 3, Gardner-Webb 2
Records: High Point (30-24, 16-6), Gardner-Webb (21-30, 8-14)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "
Gus Hughes (and
Adam Grintz) did what a Friday night starter in college baseball is capable of doing and it was awesome to watch. He was exactly the answer tonight as we continued to sputter out a few offensive opportunities with double play balls. Credit to their starter as he did a great job keeping us off balance and it took a few timing hits to push across the runs Hughes and Grintz needed"
Gus Hughes took the mound tonight for his last start of the regular season for the Panthers. Hughes shoved 7.2 innings of work, allowing two runs, on three hits, striking out 10 batters and reaching a career milestone with 200 strikeouts throughout his time in collegiate baseball.
High Point struck first in the top of the second after getting sent down in order in the first inning.
Eric Grintz stood on third after driving a two-out double and then swiping second on a wild pitch. The Runnin' Bulldogs walked
Miggy Echazarreta which set him up to swipe second and draw a throw allowing Grintz to slide in safely at home for the first run of the night.
Gardner-Webb tied the game at one in the bottom of the second as Ethan Liao doubled with two outs as the runner on second rounded third and scored.
Through three innings, the Panthers and the Runnin' Bulldogs were tied at one. Hughes had only given up one hit and striking out three batters.
In the top of the fourth,
Adam Stuart stood on third and Grintz on first. Echazarreta got a good pitch that he hit hard to deep center for a sacrifice fly to score the go ahead run to take the lead.
The Panthers got nothing across the plate in the fifth or the sixth as they were sent down in order in both innings. Hughes continued to take control on the mound as he worked his way with ease into the sixth inning. With two outs and no one on base, Alec Burns hit one to the deepest part of the ballpark that just made its way over the fence to tie the game at two.
Through six at John Henry Moss Stadium, the game was all square at two.
One out in the top of the seventh, Echazarreta smoked a pitch to the right center wall for a stand up double.
Brayden Simpson then drove a hard hit single up the middle to score the speedy Echazarrata to take a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Hughes threw his 200
th career strikeout on the mound for the first out in the eighth inning.
Adam Grintz then relieved Hughes in the eighth with two outs and runners on first and second. He worked his way out of the inning with ease as Grintz fielded a come backer to toss it over to first to retire the side.
Grintz commanded the ball in the bottom of the ninth as he sent them down in order with two strikeouts and a ground out to first. Hughes grabbed his sixth win on the year as the Panthers took game one of the series, 3-2. Grintz was tabbed with the save for his first.
Up Next: The Panthers will play game two tomorrow morning as first pitch is slated for 11:00 a.m.
#GoHPU
