HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team defeat the USC Upstate Spartans in game one of the Big South Conference Championships, 10-8, to advance to the winner's bracket. This is High Point's first conference tournament win since May 24, 2019.
Site: Truist Point
Score: High Point 10, USC Upstate 8
Records: High Point (32-25), USC Upstate (34-23)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "We didn't do everything as clean as we liked to, but we got a win and that's what matters the most. We can have some teachable moments to clean some other things up, but I am so proud of the resilience our offense had. Just continued to battle back and deal with adversity.
Adam Grintz, you can't say enough good things about that man. When we needed to make plays, we made them. That was an incredibly important game, and it allowed our offense to stick around and stack at-bats and hits. The last three RBI's is what made a difference in the game."
Matt Little got the start for game one of the Big South Conference Championships against No. 3 USC Upstate. His final line was 4.2 innings of work, allowing seven runs, on 11 hits.
Upstate jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first after a two-run home run that just stayed in fair territory down the right field line.
Konni Durschlag led off with a walk and then
Cael Chatham sent a one hopper off the right field wall for a single as Durschlag went to third. High Point's first runner scored as
Peyton Carr hit one that fell in front of the center fielder to cut the Spartan lead to one. With two runners on,
Charlie Klingler hit a base clearing double to bring two runners' home to take a 3-2 lead.
The Spartans put up three runs in the top of the second off three hits and foul ball fly out that allowed the runner on third to score to take a 5-3 lead.
The Panthers didn't get anything across after
Patrick Matthews and Durschlag drew back-to-back walks with one out in the bottom of the second. Little then sat down Upstate as a 4-6-3 double play ended the inning.
After
Adam Stuart drew a walk in the third and Klingler reached on a fielder's choice,
Eric Grintz smashed a three-run home run over the left field wall to take the lead right back, 6-5.
Through three innings of play, HPU led the Spartans, 6-5.
The Spartans had bases loaded no outs and they scored one run as one got by Klingler in left field. Another run came across as the next batter hit a SAC fly to left field. The Panthers got out of it but not before the Spartans took a 7-6 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Carr led off with a walk. Klingler drove another double to left center to advance Carr to third with no outs. Once again, Grintz grabbed his fourth RBI as he sent a SAC fly to right field to score Carr and tie the game at 7-7.
Dalton Olsovsky relieved Little in the fifth with two outs and the bases loaded. A fly ball to center field took care of the Spartans.
USC Upstate took a one run lead in the top of the sixth after a pair of singles brought home the runner from second.
With two runners on in the bottom of the sixth,
Miggy Echazarreta took the first pitch and poked it down the left field line to clear the bases and give HPU the 9-8 lead with two outs.
Through six at Truist Point, HPU held a 9-8 lead.
Adam Grintz came out of the bullpen in the seventh for HPU. Grintz escaped the inning as he put up a zero on the scoreboard. In the bottom of the seventh, Stuart drove the first strike he saw up the middle to score Durschlag from second to give HPU a two-run lead.
The Spartans got nothing across after one runner reached on a fielding error in the top of the eighth. Upstate then put up a zero on the board as High Point couldn't make any noise in the bottom half of the inning.
Grintz earned his second save as he shut down the Spartans in the top of the ninth as the Panthers won their first game of the Big South Baseball Championships. Olsovsky was credited the win as he moves to 3-3 on the season.
Up Next: The Panthers will face No. 4 Charleston Southern in the winners bracket tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. to advance to Championship Saturday.
#GoHPU
