BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team saw its season come to a close with a series of setbacks on Saturday evening at John H. Moss on the campus of Gardner-Webb University, falling to USC Upstate (5-0) and Longwood (7-4).
The setback brings to close the careers of 12 High Point seniors, including prominent contributors
Willie Ponce,
Dalton Hitt,
Landen Johnson,
Christian Smith,
Jake McCarter and
Howell Polk.
Joey Hammond: "That was not the performance we expected and hoped to see today as it was not reflective of the club we've been all season long. There will be a time in the coming days/weeks where we will be able to look at the season as a whole and be proud of some the things we accomplished. Right now, I just hurt for our players and know what they've poured into this season. Such a special group."
GAME 3 | Big South Conference Tournament: High Point 4, Longwood 7
Site: Boiling Springs, N.C. | John H. Moss Stadium | Big South Conference Tournament
Score: High Point 4, Longwood 7
Records: High Point (37-20), Longwood (33-26)
After both teams started the game through four innings with no runs, Longwood went up 4-0 in the top of the fifth inning.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth,
Willie Ponce and
Frank Kelly drew back-to-back one-out walks.
Seojun Oh moved the pair into scoring position with a grounder back to the pitcher.
Lane Allen extended the inning with a walk, loading the bases for
Landen Johnson, but Longwood emerged with a fly out to left field to end the threat.
High Point succeeded in putting runs on the board in the seventh when McCarter reached after a dropped third strike.
Jace Kohler drew a walk to put two on before the pair moved into scoring position with a grounder to second.
Justin Ruiz dropped a bases-loaded double down the right field line, slicing the Longwood lead to 4-2.
The seventh continued with single to left by Kelly, plating Ruiz from third after he moved 90-feet away on a wild pitch. The Panthers stranded Kelly at second, but scored three runs on two hits.
Longwood got those three runs back in the top of the eighth with three of its own, as the Lancers moved their lead to 7-3.
The biggest production in the High Point lineup came from 2-4 hitting combination of Kelly, Oh and Allen. The trio delivered on hit a piece and Kelly added an RBI. Ruiz closed out the game with a 2-for-4 outing that resulted in two RBI, a double and a run scored.
Wade Walton pitched 7.0 innings and struck out eight Longwood sluggers.
Dylan Story also added two strikeouts for the Panthers.
GAME 2 | Big South Conference Tournament: USC Upstate 5, High Point 0
Site: Boiling Springs, N.C.| John H. Moss Stadium | Big South Conference Tournament
Score: High Point 0, USC Upstate 5
Records: High Point (37-19), USC Upstate (32-27)
The Panthers' offense was limited to just six hits, five of which came from the top five hitters in the order. Those sluggers included Ponce, Kelly, Allen and Johnson, who led the way with a 2-for-4 performance.
Caleb Hammond was also responsible for a single for the Panthers.
USC Upstate established a 3-0 lead by the fourth inning, highlighted by a solo home run.
High Point starter
Aidan Paul (5-3) gave way to teammate
Noah Zimmerman in the top of the seventh. In six innings, Paul scattered six hits and allowed three earned runs, fanning four Spartan sluggers along the way.
Zimmerman provided the spark for the High Point defense by striking out Trey Bentley with the bases loaded to keep the USC Upstate lead at 3-0. The Spartans added an insurance run in the top of the eighth, resulting in a 4-0 lead before tacking on one in the ninth.
Johnson led off the eighth with a single up the middle, marking his second hit of the game and High Point's sixth overall. Johnson moved to second, but the Panthers were unable to advance the runner home.
Dalton Hitt also toed the rubber for the Panthers, taking over in the ninth, allowing one run on two hits, striking out two hitters along the way.
The HPU offense was unable to bring in runs before the final out and fell 5-0.
This concludes HPU's 2026 baseball season.
