ROCK HILL, S.C. – The High Point University baseball team took game one of the series over Winthrop University, 13-11, on Thursday night in Rock Hill.
Site: Founders Field
Score: High Point 13, Winthrop 11
Records: High Point (38-15, 18-4), Winthrop (27-27, 11-11)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "This was a character-building game. They all matter and I'm so proud of our guys. It's a long day with travel included. It's humid, it's late, and we had some ups and downs. Had to deal with some adversity, but I'm proud of our guys.
Wade Walton and
Howell Polk have been great for us all year and they just couldn't get us a whole lot of length today, but they certainly will. We believe in them, but some other guys had to step up.
Cord Butler got eight big outs for us, and
Charlie Jones got a big out as well. Of course,
Adam Grintz comes in and does what he's been doing, so I'm proud of him. There were also some hidden plays as well.
Frank Kelly made a great catch over his shoulder that would have costed us a run. We stacked at-bats and had big innings when we needed to offensively, which is the reason we won the game with 13 runs. Even with that, our team's never satisfied. I felt like we still left some meat on the bones. There were some at-bats where if we just do our normal plans and execute normally, we could have had 15 or 16 runs. A win is a win and I'm proud of us and we got to recover and get ready to come after it again tomorrow."
High Point got off to an early lead scoring two runs in its first at-bats.
Brayden Simpson banged one off the wall with two runners on to get one across, before
Landen Johnson tagged and scored on a fly ball to right field.
The Eagles got one back in their first at-bats with a fielder's choice as runners were on the corners. The Panthers offense kept making things happen as they scored two more runs in the second inning.
Jake McCarter scored
Three Hillier from first base on a rip down the left field line, before
Konni Durschlag singled through the left side to score McCarter.
Winthrop's bats kept going to work scoring four runs on four hits in the bottom of the second to take a 5-4 lead. After HPU went down in order, the Eagles piled three more runs on two hits to extend their 8-4 lead.
The lead went back to the Panthers after they put up a five spot in the top of the fourth. Two RBI singles, a SAC fly, and a bases loaded hit-by-pitch brought HPU back in front 9-8.
Howell Polk relieved Walton and put up a clean 1.1 innings, allowing just one run to keep HPU alive at the plate.
Polk's clean fourth inning led to three more runs crossing the plate for HPU in the fifth inning. Kelly started by scoring on a wild pitch, followed by Simpson recording a bases loaded single and Smith with a SAC fly to center field.
Winthrop tallied two runs in the bottom of the seventh on two hits, before HPU rallied one run across in the top of the eighth. A throwing error by the Eagles shortstop allowed Hillier to round third and score with ease to lead Winthrop 13-11.
Adam Grintz earned a two inning save, his fourth of the season as he quieted the Eagles offense leading to the 13-11 game one victory for High Point. Polk was credited with his third win as he shoved 1.1 innings, allowing just one hit out of the bullpen.
Up Next: High Point and Winthrop will play game two tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. at Founders Field.
#GoHPU
