RADFORD, Va. – The High Point University baseball team defeated the Radford Highlanders in eight innings, 14-3, on Sunday afternoon to remain undefeated in conference play.
Site: Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium
Score: High Point 14, Radford 3
Records: High Point (20-8, 6-0), Radford (12-14, 3-3)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "Great weekend for our program and to continue momentum in our league. I thought all our pitchers were fantastic and we really needed that to steady the game and buy time for our offense to make the appropriate adjustments against their starter who had good stuff and was difficult early on. When our offense stays disciplined we feel like it's a matter of time before we break through. 13 RBI's with two outs is fantastic for a full weekend let alone just one game today. The offense was suffocating and put up great numbers in all three games. We will get back to work and prepare for another tough week ahead."
Dalton Hitt earned the win this afternoon after pitching 3.0 innings of work, allowing just four hits. He improved his record to 3-1.
Adrian Montenegro relieved Hitt and went the distance for HPU throwing 4.0 innings, as
Joey Tuttoilmondo closed it out in the eighth.
Both offenses couldn't get going through the first three frames as Hitt allowed just four hits and stranded six Highlanders on base. High Point was able to score first on a wild pitch as
Jack Clark took off from third to come home.
With two outs in the fifth inning, Durschlag started the rally with a double down the right field line before
Jackson Melton swung first pitch and crushed it over the center field wall. Two back-to-back doubles from
Landen Johnson and
Brayden Simpson scored the fourth run just before
Three Hillier would smoke a no doubter to right field to bring home the sixth run of the afternoon.
Once again with two outs, High Point plated two more runs in the seventh inning. Hillier started it with a double in the gap and then
James Murphy blasted a two-run homer to right center to score the eighth run.
The Highlanders plated three runs on three hits in the bottom of the seventh, before High Point rallied to put up a six spot in the top of the eighth. An RBI single from Melton scored Clark, leading to HPU loading the bases after a single and a walk. Hillier was hit by the pitch to score Melton with ease just before Murphy hit a grand slam to really open the lead for his second home run of the day. High Point led the Highlanders, 14-3.
Tuttoilmondo made an appearance to pitch the bottom of the eighth as he sent Radford down in order to hand HPU the series sweep on Sunday afternoon.
Up Next: High Point will play against top-ranked Wake Forest at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, N.C. on Tuesday April 1 at 7:00 p.m.
#GoHPU
