HIGH POINT, N.C – The High Point University baseball team dropped game two of the three-game Big South Conference series to UNC Asheville, 4-2, Friday night.
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 2, UNC Asheville 4
Records: High Point (27-12, 11-3), UNC Asheville (12-24, 5-9)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "Tough game that we knew was going to be a challenge with facing off with one of the top pitchers in the league. Credit to Asheville for getting the big hit that we couldn't seem to get throughout the game. I was proud of our guys fight in the end to have a chance to win it late- but we simply didn't do enough good things early on to get the win".
Wade Walton started game two of the series, finishing with six innings pitched, while giving up three earned runs with six strikeouts.
UNC Asheville scored on a sacrifice fly out after a few walks to score in the top of the first.
Miggy Echazarreta helped limit the damage with a sliding catch in foul territory, which was one of two impressive right-field defensive snags from the senior.
The HPU bats were held in check early until the third inning when
Konni Durschlag reached on error, then
Landen Johnson hit an RBI single to tie the game up at one.
Walton was dialed in, striking out the side in the second inning and pitching four straight scoreless innings, only giving up two hits.
Joey Tuttoilmondo came in for relief of Walton, then
Adam Grintz relieved Tuttoilmondo, pitching two scoreless innings.
A two-run home run by UNC Asheville in the top of the sixth inning gave the Bulldogs a 3-1 advantage. UNC Asheville scored another run in the top of the seventh, extending its lead, 4-1. High Point responded after a Durschlag walk as Echazarreta hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth, but it was not enough as UNC Asheville held on to win the game.
Up Next: High Point and UNC Asheville will play game three of the series tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
#GoHPU
