HIGH POINT, N.C – The High Point University baseball team dominated on both sides of the ball, evening the series with Longwood University with a 10-0 win in game two.
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 10, Longwood 0
Records: High Point (30-16, 12-5), Longwood (27-20, 9-8)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "That was a great response by our guys after a tough night last night. Really proud of everyone and it obviously starts with Ty [Brachbill]. I can't say enough good things about him. He has been fantastic all year for us, and tonight was no exception. It may have been the best that he has been all season. It was exactly what we needed after a taxed bullpen from game one. To get eight innings was a godsend. Charlie [Jones] was as good as I've seen him in the last inning, which is great to see him being sharp. We were clean in the field and were able to make plays. It was tough sledding early on, that guy had good breaking ball stuff. I was happy how we responded after the first time through the lineup. We made major adjustments and stacked seven at-bats in a row that were huge in the fourth inning. We trusted our abilities to stick to our plans and just keep putting up crooked numbers. Really proud of our guys and we now have an opportunity to win a series and create some real separation."
After 3.5 scoreless innings on both sides, High Point broke through with a six-run bottom of the fourth on six hits. A bases-loaded walk by
Landen Johnson started the rally, followed by four rbi base hits and a sacrifice fly to give HPU a 6-0 lead after four innings.
Caleb Hammond,
Frank Kelly,
Willie Ponce, and
Jake McCarter each recorded RBI hits, while
Jace Kohler added a sacrifice fly.
Hammond extended the lead to 8-0 in the fifth with a two-rbi double off the right-field wall, scoring Kohler and Johnson for his second hit of the night.
Seojun Oh pushed the advantage to 10-0 in the sixth with his 14th home run of the season, a two-run shot deep over the right-center field wall.
High Point's pitching was a major storyline, as
Ty Brachbill earned his 10th win of the season with 8.0 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out seven.
Charlie Jones closed it out with a scoreless ninth, striking out one to secure the 10-0 shutout victory.
The win marks Hammond's third consecutive 30-win season in his five years leading High Point.
Up Next: High Point and Longwood will be back for game three of the series tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
