BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team took the series with a 12-8 win over Gardner-Webb University on Saturday afternoon.
Site: John Henry Moss Field
Score: High Point 12, Gardner-Webb 8
Records: High Point (17-9, 6-2), Gardner-Webb (13-14, 3-5)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "Happy to see us play some complimentary baseball today. We knew the way the park was playing, it had a chance to be offensive and that getting outs weren't going to be easy. But our guys battled and we made plays on defense to keep the game out of reach. Mateo [Wells] was incredible again getting the last 12 outs. Our at bats were relentless and we did damage and impacted the ball when the pitch allowed. Great to see Landen [Johnson] have a good day and his three run homer off the batters eye with two outs was a huge lift for our team! Willie [Ponce] reaches base five times and Seojun [Oh] hit two big homers for us. Excited to see us compete tomorrow to finish off the series."
High Point wasted no time applying pressure, loading the bases before recording an out in the top of the first inning. The Panthers capitalized with three runs, highlighted by an RBI single from
Lane Allen, a bases-loaded walk by
Seojun Oh, and an RBI ground out from
Jake McCarter.
Gardner-Webb responded with an RBI single in the first and added another run on a ground out in the second to trim the deficit to 3-2.
The Panthers answered in a big way, extending their lead to 7-2 behind a trio of home runs. Oh launched a two-run shot before McCarter went back-to-back, and E'mar Fleming II followed with his third home run of his freshman campaign.
McCarter added a sacrifice fly in the fourth to score
Landen Johnson and push the lead to 8-3. The Runnin' Bulldogs surged back in the bottom half of the inning, plating four runs on six hits to cut High Point's advantage to 8-6.
Johnson provided a key response, blasting a three-run home run, his second of the series to extend the lead to 11-6. Gardner-Webb answered with a solo shot of its own, making it 11-7.
Oh continued his standout performance at the plate, crushing his second home run of the game in the sixth inning to give High Point a 12-7 cushion.
The Runnin' Bulldogs added one more run with a solo home run in the eighth.
Mateo Wells earned the save out of the bullpen, tossing the final four innings while allowing just one run on two hits and striking out four.
Jack Carey was handed the win for his 1.1 innings of work in relief.
High Point secured the series victory with a 12-8 win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon.
Up Next: High Point will go for the series sweep over the Runnin' Bulldogs tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.
#GoHPU
