ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Led by the offensive trio of
Landen Johnson,
Jake McCarter and
Marcus Martin, who accounted for two hits apiece, the High Point University baseball team claimed its sixth Big South Conference series win of the season with an 8-5 victory over UNC Asheville on Saturday afternoon at Greenwood Baseball Field.
Site: Greenwood Baseball Field
Score: High Point 8, UNC Asheville 5
Records: High Point (36-18, 17-7), UNC Asheville (21-34, 9-15)
Joey Hammond: "That was a great team win to finish the regular season on a high note. I'm so proud of our guys especially those that haven't gotten a chance to play much this year and to see them contribute - was awesome to see.
Cohen Bettencourt was exceptional behind the plate and had some good at bats in his first action.
Marcus Martin played a great overall game as well. n the end it was two senior anchors in our lineup that made the difference.
Landen Johnson and
Jake McCarter not only had the back-to-back homers to tie and give us the lead, they also had big at bats in the 9th to stretch the lead. It's also great to see so many guys get action on the mound and stay sharp. Congrats to
Dylan Story on his record 10th save of the season!
Johnson, who finished 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and two runs, capped off the regular season with a double and a home run. McCarter (2-4, 2 RBI, run) also connected on a home run for the Panthers, while Martin delivered a double as part of his 2-for-3 performance that resulted in two RBI.
The Panther offense provided starter
Aidan Paul with four runs before he even toed the rubber, converting four hits in the top of the first. Lead-off hitter
Frank Kelly took the first pitch of the game over the left field wall for the early 1-0 lead.
Caleb Hammond followed with a double down the left field line, scoring three batters later on a double by
Jace Kohler.
Martin kept the High Point first inning alive with a two-run double down the left field line, plating both Kohler and McCarter for the 4-0 advantage.
UNC Asheville broke through with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth, slicing the Panthers' lead to one, before taking a 5-4 lead at the close of the seventh.
However, the Panthers turned the momentum back in their favor in the eighth with back-to-back home runs to lead off the frame by Johnson and McCarter. With a 6-5 lead in the top of the ninth, High Point added two insurance runs to establish a three-run advantage, 8-5.
The seventh run came on a single by
Willie Ponce, which brought home E'Mar Fleming II, who reached base on a walk. Johnson provided the final run for the Panthers with a double to centerfield, scoring on a McCarter single on the next at bat.
Nine pitchers took the mound for High Point, including Paul who earned the starting nod. The High Point pitching staff scattered five hits and combined for seven strikeouts, with
Howell Polk (1-0) earning the victory. Junior
Dylan Story notched his 10th save of the season, which ties Jason Brennan (2000) and Chris Chandler (2002) for most single-season saves in program history since 1972.
Up Next: The top-seeded High Point baseball team opens the Big South Conference Tournament at HomeTruist Park in Asheville, N.C., which begins on May 21st.
#GoHPU
