HIGH POINT, N.C – The High Point University baseball team dropped game two to the USC Upstate Spartans, 7-2, on Saturday night.
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 2, USC Upstate 7
Records: High Point (20-11, 6-2), USC Upstate (16-15, 5-3)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "We ran into a bus all night and were punched in the face early on. Tip your hats, they got a bunch of two out RBI and a four spot in the first inning is pretty tough. Their guy was dominant, we didn't have an answer for him. Every time we tried, we couldn't. I'm not pleased with our bats, I'll have to go back and see how much of that was him being good or us being bad, probably both. We've run into that, but I am excited about the opportunity tomorrow to see if our team's going to lay down or come complete and ready to go. To be able to salvage a win at home, which is important, I have a good feeling for how they're going to approach it."
Dylan Story got hit early as the Spartans worked their way to a four spot in the top of the first. Story buckled in and completed 5.1 innings, striking out six batters, allowing nine hits, and seven runs.
Howell Polk relieved Story and was able to quiet the Spartans as he finished the final 3.2 innings of work allowing just two hits.
USC Upstate continued to score as they put up one run in the third, fifth, and sixth innings. In the bottom of the seventh,
Christian Smith blasted a high fly ball that carried over the left field wall for a two-run homer to put HPU on the board.
The Spartans pitching shut down High Point tonight only allowing five hits as they secured the series victory with the, 7-2, win on Saturday evening on ESPNU.
With the loss tonight, HPU surrendered its first conference home series loss dating back to May 2023.
On the flip side, the Panthers set a Williard Stadium attendance record as 912 fans came out to support High Point on the national stage.
Up Next: High Point and USC Upstate will play game three of the series tomorrow afternoon as first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
#GoHPU
