HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team won its final home game of the 2024 season as they took the series against Winthrop, 8-7, on Sunday afternoon.
Site: Williard Stadium
Score: High Point 8, Winthrop 7
Records: High Point (29-24, 15-6), Winthrop (17-28-1, 6-14)
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "It wasn't the way we drew it up for this weekend but we managed to win the series and hopefully build some confidence in our ability to win close games even when we don't play particularly well. I'm pleased with our fight and to be able to push 5 runs across in the last 2 innings was great to see. Konni stepped up with a 2 strike hit to put us on top and credit him for finding a way to get the job done.
Sam Schner with a big 2 out pinch-hit triple to tie the game before Konni cashed him in was the pivotal moment. It was great to see
Christian Baker get a few big strikeouts and we are fortunate to have
Cael Chatham to close another game out!"
Matt Little got the start for the Sunday rubber match against the Eagles as he tied his season high in strikeouts as he punched out eight batters. Little shoved 6.1 innings, allowing five runs, on four hits.
The top of the first ended quick as Little shut them down in order after punching out the last guy on strikes. The Panthers couldn't get it going in the bottom of the first as they were also sent down in order.
The Eagles came up to bat in the second, but Little sent them down once again after surrendering a double.
Charlie Klingler drove a double to left field to put him in scoring position for
Miggy Echazarreta. Echazarreta then singled through the left side to score Klingler for the first run of the afternoon.
Little continued to dominate the mound as he sent down his second 1-2-3 inning to bring the Panthers back to the plate for the third time.
Peyton Carr up to bat, as he smashed a 401-foot bomb for his 13
th of the season to put the Panthers out front, 2-0 through three innings of play.
The top of the fourth went quick as Little pitched to contact and sent them down in order once again. The High Point bats stayed hot as
Eric Grintz knocked one out of here for his ninth of the year to extend the Panthers lead, 3-0 in the fourth.
One hiccup in the top of the fifth costed Little a solo homer that got over the wall to put a run on the board for the Eagles. After that, he locked back in and recorded his sixth strikeout of the outing. The Panthers were sent down in order in the bottom of the fifth. But the Eagles managed to tie the game up at 3-3 after a two-run home run.
Reese Lumpkin, the Winthrop starter got through the Panther lineup in the bottom of the sixth after running into a tad of trouble leaving two runners on base.
Noah Carter got the call from the bullpen to relieve Little in the top of the seventh with one out and two runners on. After recording an out via fly out to center field, the Eagles took the lead after a single up the middle bringing home the runner on second. Before recording the third out at second, another run came home off another single through the right side. Chancellor Jennings tried to extend his single to a double, but Grintz threw him out after Echazarreta tried to gun the runner down at home.
Brayden Simpson started the bottom of the seventh with a ground rule double that just bounced over the right center wall to put the leadoff man on second.
Patrick Matthews hit a grounder to second base to advance Simpson to third. Durschlag grounded into a fielder's choice but ended up advancing to second on a run down at third. Simpson was called safe sliding back into third base. Chatham grounded one to second as the second baseman made a sliding stop but made an errant throw to bring home Simpson and Durschlag to tie the game at five.
Adam Grintz took the ball to work the eighth inning for the Panthers. Grintz walked the first batter and then let up a single through the left side to put the Eagles on the corners. The Panthers recorded the first out after a come backer to Grintz got the guy at first. The very next batter sent a hard shot to left field for a single that cleared the bases. Coach Hammond called to the bullpen and brought in the senior; Chrisitan Baker as the Eagles led 7-5. The second out was made after a called catcher's interference on the batter as Grintz attempted to throw the runner out stealing second. The runner was forced to return back to first base but he tried to run on Grintz again and this time, was thrown out to record the third out.
The Panthers brought it back to within one in the bottom of the eighth as Echazarreta beat out an infield single drawing an errant throw as Grintz rounded third to score.
Sam Schner came in as a pinch hitter and did his job as he drove in the tying run with a stand-up triple. Schner was driven in by Durschlag as he sent a single through the left side as the Panthers took an 8-7 lead heading into the top of the ninth.
Back to the mound went Baker with a one run lead. The first two batters were sent down on strikes as the third guy sent a double to the left center wall. A walk to the next batter forced Coach Hammond to make the switch to Chatham to try and record the last out. Chatham did his job and got the last out to ground out to Carr at first to record his second save this weekend and his sixth save of the season. Baker earned the win to improve his record to 1-0.
The Panthers took the series, 2-1, as they handed Winthrop a loss during their last home game of the year.
Up Next: High Point will head into their last series of the regular season as they take on Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C. The first game is on Thursday May 16 at 6 p.m.
#GoHPU
