HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team swept its doubleheader against New Jersey Institute of Technology to open the 2025 campaign.
Game 1
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 10, NJIT 0
Records: High Point (1-0), NJIT (0-1)
Game 2
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 4, NJIT 3
Records: High Point (2-0), NJIT (0-2)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "Great way to start the year. They might not always feel the same, but it was a long day of baseball, a lot of really good baseball. Learned a lot of things about the club already on the first day. I don't think you usually expect that until a little later in the year, but I think our team found some things out about themselves, which I think is good, and let's just hope they continue."
Opening day for the 2025 Panthers could not have gone any better for the ball club. Hosting NJIT for a weekend series and taking two on opening day, a 7-inning mercy rule followed by a walk-off is one way to start the campaign.
It started from game one, High Point scored 10 runs quick against the Highlanders. Backed by
Wade Walton throwing a gem as a rookie, helped the Panthers offense come to life. In his first career start, Walton recorded a complete game shutout as he pitched seven innings, allowing just three hits, and struck out eight batters. Walton sat down 16 straight hitters before surrendering his first hit in the sixth inning.
"Everything was working today," Walton said. "Started off primarily fastball, change up, and then got into the later innings and started working in my slider."
The senior,
Konni Durschlag led the game off with a double to left field and that is all HPU needed to boost the confidence on the field and in the dugout. Scoring two runs in the first inning gave Walton a little bit of a cushion to keep pounding the zone.
One of the key returners for HPU,
Miggy Echazarreta clutched up and drove one over the center field wall for a two-run shot in the third inning. Everyone down the lineup seemed to come ready to play and contribute one way or the other. In the sixth inning, HPU scored six more runs to make it 10 total as Durschlag,
Landen Johnson,
Three Hillier,
Jake McCarter, and
Jackson Melton all recorded RBIs to add to the Panthers lead. The game was called to a 10-run mercy rule after the Highlanders failed to score any runners in the top of the seventh.
After a 40-minute break in-between games, game two was underway. The sophomore transfer from Wingate,
Dylan Story got the start for High Point. Story got a little shaken up in the first inning as NJIT was quick to attack and were able to bring home two runners to take an early lead. Story settled down and completed five innings, allowing just two runs, striking out four batters.
In the bottom of the second,
Christian Smith, the transfer from University of Illinois knocked one over the right field wall to put HPU on the board for his first homer in the Purple & White.
Joey Tuttoilmondo relieved Story and was dominant on the mound. It was zeros across the board until Johnson singled up the middle to score
James Murphy to tie the game at two in the sixth. The graduate student,
Adam Grintz took over pitching duties in the ninth after two runners got on.
The Highlanders broke the tie in the top of the ninth with an RBI single to center field to score the runner from second, giving HPU a chance in the bottom of the ninth. After Hillier walked, and two consecutive outs, Johnson did what any power hitter does and blasted a walk-off home run deep over the wall in right center to send HPU home with a 4-3 victory on Friday night.
"Our offense did a really good job all day long and even in the second game," Hammond said. "Honestly, I felt like that was the best offensive game I've ever been associated with, only scoring four runs."
Up Next: High Point made a schedule change and will plan on a 5:00 p.m. start tomorrow night for game three of the series with NJIT.
#GoHPU
