HIGH POINT, N.C. - The High Point University baseball team scored in five different innings to earn a 10-7 win over University of Maine on Sunday afternoon at Williard Stadium, securing the series victory.
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 10, Maine 7
Records: High Point (5-3), Maine (2-6)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "Happy to get a series win. Saw some positive things with some guys starting to swing the bat a little. It's good to see Landen [Johnson] homer and a big double, while also Lane [Allen] getting a home run. A lot of positives offensively. Felt like we were a little sluggish when we came back from the rain delay, which was a little disappointing early on. I thought Dom [LaDuke] was fantastic today out of the bullpen. We didn't finish the way I had hoped so we need to clean that up. The effort's great, but it was a long weekend, kind of ran out of gas a little bit which is why I didn't like the finish. But I'm glad we were able to come away with three wins on the weekend, and we have a list of things that we can continue to clean up and improve."
High Point jumped out early in the bottom of the first inning.
Willie Ponce singled and stole second before
Landen Johnson delivered a two-run home run to right-center to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
Maine evened the score with two unearned runs in the third inning and took a 3-2 lead in the fourth, but High Point responded in the fifth. Ponce doubled to left field and scored on an RBI single from
Lane Allen, and Johnson followed with an RBI double to put the Panthers back in front, 4-3.
The Panthers extended the lead in the sixth inning. After
Seojun Oh walked and E'mar Fleming II singled,
Frank Kelly drove in a run on a fielder's choice. Ponce followed with a two-run single to center field to push the advantage to 7-3.
High Point added two more runs in the seventh as Fleming delivered a two-run ground-rule double, extending the lead to 9-3.
Lane Allen added an insurance run with a solo home run in the eighth.
Maine scored late in the eighth and ninth innings, but the Panthers closed out the game to secure the win.
Ponce finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Allen went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a home run. Johnson added three RBIs, and Fleming drove in two as High Point totaled 12 hits.
Dom LaDuke earned the win in relief, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings.
Mac Kimel recorded the final out to earn his first save of the season.
Up Next: High Point will hit the road on Wednesday, February 25 to face Liberty University at 4:00 p.m.
#GoHPU
