ROCK HILL, S.C. – The High Point University baseball team dropped game two to Winthrop, 15-12, on Friday night.
Site: Founders Field
Score: High Point 12, Winthrop 15
Records: High Point (38-16, 18-5) Winthrop (28-27, 12-11)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "Disappointing loss to say the least but we simply didn't deserve to win the game tonight. We didn't make enough pitches, and didn't make plays defensively when we needed to the most. We have been good this season playing complimentary baseball and picking each other up but we certainly didn't do that in the fifth inning tonight and it cost us the game. Hats off to Winthrop but we simply can't make it easy for our opponent. I'm proud of our fight at the plate and that gave us a chance at the end, but the hole was just too big to climb out of."
Landen Johnson opened the scoring for the Panthers with a solo home run to right center. Johnson's home run tied the Big South Conference single-season home run record at 123 and it was his 14th of the season.
Brayden Simpson then blasted a solo homer in the top of the third inning for his 20th of the season which beat the Big South Conference single-season home run record. This record was previously held by Campbell University since 2023.
The Eagles worked their way on the board in the fourth inning to cut the lead in half on a RBI single to left field, before Simpson roped an RBI double to put HPU back up two runs.
A nine run fifth inning for Winthrop created the separation they needed to get out front. High Point then rallied to get two across the plate in the sixth after
Three Hillier smoked a no doubter and
Miggy Echazarreta tallied an RBI.
Three more runs scored for Winthrop in the bottom half of the sixth inning, before Hillier recorded an RBI single to center field to cut into the 13-6 deficit. HPU kept crawling back slowly as they worked a three run eighth inning as Simpson tallied another RBI as did
Jackson Melton.
Winthrop wasn't done scoring runs as they added two more to their total in the bottom of the eighth. HPU didn't go down quietly as the Eagles struggled on the mound in the ninth inning. The Panthers worked their way to bring three runs home as they had the bases loaded when the Eagles surrendered a walk, hit-by-pitch, and a wild pitch. High Point's late rally ended after coming within three runs in the ninth.
HPU dropped game two to Winthrop, 15-12, as
Dylan Story was credited the loss as he stands with a 7-3 record.
Up Next: High Point will play game three tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. at Founders Field.
#GoHPU
