Box Score Box Score

Junior Nate Roberts doubled in a run and came around to score in the ninth inning but HPU's rally fell just short as the High Point University baseball team lost to No. 13 Coastal Carolina 10-9 Friday at Watson Stadium in Conway, S.C. Jamie Serber allowed just three runs in his first six innings but the Chanticleers put up a six-run seventh inning which proved to be the difference in the game.

“We played a tremendous game except for one inning on the mound,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “It is tough to play as hard as we did and not get the results. We played with tremendous energy and I expect two more quality games.”

HPU falls to 17-14 (4-6 Big South) with Kyle Starnes getting the loss to go to 1-1 on the season. With the win Coastal Carolina is 25-5 (6-0 BSC) and Matt Laney improves to 1-1 with the win.

Coastal Carolina took a quick lead in the first inning. Rico Noel reached on a ground ball up the middle, advancing to second on Scott Woodward's sacrifice bunt. Noel swiped his Big South-leading 23rd stolen base on the same pitch that Serber hit Jose Iglesias with to put Chanticleers on the corners. Tommy La Stella nearly cleared the bases with a rocket down the right field line, taking a high pitch from Serber just foul. Serber came back with the next pitch, jamming La Stella who popped the pitch up to shortstop. Noel came in to score on Adam Rice's single to left field before Serber got out of the inning.

Kyle Mahoney tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second inning, launching the 1-1 pitch from Cody Wheeler over the left centerfield wall for his fourth home run of the season.

After CCU took a 2-1 in the bottom of the third the Panthers answered with a three-run fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Murray White IV led off the inning with a single to left field before Wheeler struck out Nate Roberts and Mahoney. With two outs Matt Gantner singled through the left side to bring Max Fulginiti to the plate. Wheeler quickly went ahead of Fulginiti 1-2 but Fulginiti worked the count full and fouled off one pitch before taking the seventh pitch of the at-bat off the left field wall to score both White and Gantner. Steve Antolik followed the double with a basehit of his own to score Fulginiti.

Coastal Carolina threatened in the bottom of the fourth loading the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batter but Serber settled in to get the final two outs of the inning, stranding all three runners without a run scoring. Serber caught Woodward looking at strike three for the second out and got Iglesias to pop up to Antolik at first base to end the fourth inning with HPU in top 4-2.

Serber again had struggles in the fifth inning, giving up two hits to lead off the inning, with Rice picking up his third RBI of the game. Daniel Bowman grounded back to Serber who was able to start the 1-4-3 double play. Serber ended the inning with a strikeout of Chance Gilmore.

The Panthers added another run in the sixth inning off Wheeler. Roberts came around to score after leading off the inning with a double. Gantner picked up his 18th double of the season, to score Roberts. Gantner needs three more to tie the HPU record for doubles in a season set by Gerald Culler in 1979. Fulginiti singled to center to put runners on the corners and force Wheeler out of the game after 5-1/3 innings. Ryan Connolly came out of the Chanticleer bullpen to strike out Antolik and Andrew Bartlett to end the HPU rally.

Wheeler lasted 5-1/3 inning, allowing five runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Coastal's threats finally equaled runs against Serber in the seventh inning. Serber gave up a single and an RBI double to lead off the inning and bring CCU within one run 5-4. Serber left the game with Iglesias at first base and no outs. Kyle Starnes came out of the bullpen for the lefty matchup against La Stella but La Stella singled to right center and Starnes was replaced by Jaime Schultz. The Chanticleers took tied the on a wild pitch, allowing Iglesias to score from third. They took a 6-5 lead on Bowman's single to left field, still without an out in the inning. Coastal would bat around in the inning, extending the lead to 9-5.

Serber lasted six innings, allowing five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and three walks.

“I got in to some jams but competed and got outs when I needed them,” Serber said. “I ran out of gas at the end. We really played well enough to win but gave it up.”

HPU got two runs back in the eighth inning, Gantner singled and scored and Fulginiti doubled and scored but CCU's Austin Fleet struck out Rosario to end the inning.

Sophomore Drew Dades made his first appearance of the season, coming out of the bullpen in the eighth inning. He surrendered a home run to La Stella to lead off the inning but came back to get Rice to strike out swinging for the first out of the inning. Dades gave up a basehit to Bowman but caught him too far off first and picked him off before striking out Gilmore to end the inning.

White led off the ninth inning with a single and came around to score when Roberts doubled over Noel's head in center field. Mahoney singled through the right side to put runners on the corners with no outs forcing Coastal Carolina to go to the bullpen, bringing out Matt Rein to face Gantner. Gantner went down swinging and Fulginiti picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly to left field. Rein got Antolik to fly out to right field to end the game.

The teams will play again at 2 p.m. on Saturday with Al Yevoli taking the mound for HPU against Anthony Meo of Coastal Carolina.