HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team opens its season 4-0 for the first time since 2020, after sweeping the New Jersey Institute of Technology following the, 20-8, win on Sunday afternoon.
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 20, NJIT 8
Records: High Point (4-0), NJIT (0-4)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "What a fun day, the weather cleared up and we dealt with some adversity early on, but we responded. Sundays are going to be like that sometimes. You got to bring the energy and find a way. You're probably going to win those games when you put up crooked numbers every inning. I thought Adrian (Montenegro) did an awesome job of settling the game down and was fantastic. Our offense was just relentless all game long."
A windy day at Williard Stadium brought out the offense in the Panthers. A 20-run game - that has not been done since the Richmond series in late March of last season - was more than enough to mercy rule the Highlanders to clinch the series sweep.
Adrian Montenegro earned his first win in the Purple & White as he was the winning pitcher of record.
Dalton Olsovsky got the start but was hit around to open the first frame. Montenegro took over the mound in the second inning and finished with four innings pitched, three hits, two runs, and struck out four batters.
The Highlanders jumped to an early 4-0 lead after they tallied a two-run home run, and a few base hits. HPU answered right back with five runs of its own to take the lead after the first inning and never looked back. Four singles and a run-off an NJIT balk was what opened the flood gates for the bats of High Point.
Another two runs scored in the second for HPU as
Three Hillier poked his first one over the wall for an opposite field two-run home run. Leading 7-4 in the top of the third, NJIT took one back off an RBI single to third base.
The third inning saw five more runs for High Point cross the plate, highlighted by a two-run opposite field homer from
Landen Johnson. The Highlanders made it a 12-6 game in the fourth after a double through the left side to score a run. A single by
Brayden Simpson and a run on a passed ball brought in the next two scores for the Panthers, followed by a RBI double from Johnson.
The freshman from Florida,
Jace Kohler was first pitch swinging in his first collegiate plate appearance in the fifth inning as he blooped one into right field to score two more runs. The Highlanders found some offense in the top of the sixth as they brought two runner's home, just before
Justin Ruiz poked a solo shot over the left field wall.
Frank Kelly rounded up the scoring for High Point as he batted in the 20th run on a single to right field in the bottom of the sixth.
Charlie Jones shut down the Highlanders in the top of the seventh as he recorded two strikeouts. High Point swept its opening weekend series and starts the 2025 season with a 4-0 record.
Up Next: High Point will host Appalachian State University on Tuesday, February 18 at 4:00 p.m.
#GoHPU
