HPCA hammers Charlotte Christian, 10-2
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — High Point Christian’s offense came alive at a good time, and its pitching and defense did the rest against a good opponent.
The Cougars, after a slow start, capitalized on several miscues to surge past Charlotte Christian 10-2 in a meeting of NCISAA 3A state baseball powers Friday at Oak View Baptist Church.
“It was kind of surprising because we hadn’t been swinging the bat very well,” HPCA coach Corey Gesell said. “We’ve been working really hard in practice and talking about pitches to look for and not swinging at bad pitches. I thought today we had great plate discipline. So, I’m really proud of our guys.
“A lot of our guys have played Charlotte Christian, and they know they’re really tough. We got them on a day where their pitcher struggled. But we know that by the end of the season they’ll be there. Our guys knew the opponent we were facing, and they came ready to play.”
Timmy Fischvogt went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Brody Lawson had a hit and three RBIs to lead the second-ranked Cougars (5-1), who’ve lost to the Knights the last two years deep in the state playof fs. Rober t Sari added two hits, while Heath Hopkins and Dylan Wilkinson each had an RBI.
Lawson (2-0) picked up the win in relief of star ting pitcher Josh Nifong. Lawson struck out four and walked none while allowing just one hit in four innings, helping shut down top-ranked Charlotte Christian — who’ve won five straight state championships — after it scored twice in the top of the first.
HPCA scored twice in the first and twice in the second to lead 4-2, then broke free with five runs in the fifth. Wilkinson and Lawson had back-to-back sacrifice flies in the first, and Fischvogt and Hopkins had back-to-back RBI singles in the second. Then, Lawson had a key two-run single to highlight the nine-batter fifth.
“They went up 2-0, and we came right back and put two runs on the board,” said Lawson, a junior in his first season with the Cougars. “You can’t beat that. We knew that this was a big game and that we could see them again in the state championship. We knew we’d have to get a lead and keep the pressure on them.
“We came in and got five runs — going back out there as a pitcher with a seven-run lead, it’s just easy,” he said of the fifth inning. “It just felt great. I’ve struggling swinging the bat recently. And just to get that hit, my confidence has gone up. There’s nothing like it.”
The Knights (4-4) struggled with six wild pitches and five errors (including three in the fifth), and HPCA was quick to take advantage, particularly in pulling away. Miles Gary took the loss in four innings, allowing nine runs on six hits and two walks. Gary also had a hit and an RBI at the plate.
The Cougars return to action Tuesday at Dudley at 5:30 p.m.
“It’s one game on the schedule,” Gesell said. “It is a big game; it is Charlotte Christian. It’s a game that you circle because you know they’re always really good. So, we’re going to take the good things from it. They’re not going to give us the state championship trophy today. But hopefully we can keep working hard and get there.”
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — High Point Christian’s offense came alive at a good time, and its pitching and defense did the rest against a good opponent.
The Cougars, after a slow start, capitalized on several miscues to surge past Charlotte Christian 10-2 in a meeting of NCISAA 3A state baseball powers Friday at Oak View Baptist Church.
“It was kind of surprising because we hadn’t been swinging the bat very well,” HPCA coach Corey Gesell said. “We’ve been working really hard in practice and talking about pitches to look for and not swinging at bad pitches. I thought today we had great plate discipline. So, I’m really proud of our guys.
“A lot of our guys have played Charlotte Christian, and they know they’re really tough. We got them on a day where their pitcher struggled. But we know that by the end of the season they’ll be there. Our guys knew the opponent we were facing, and they came ready to play.”
Timmy Fischvogt went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Brody Lawson had a hit and three RBIs to lead the second-ranked Cougars (5-1), who’ve lost to the Knights the last two years deep in the state playof fs. Rober t Sari added two hits, while Heath Hopkins and Dylan Wilkinson each had an RBI.
Lawson (2-0) picked up the win in relief of star ting pitcher Josh Nifong. Lawson struck out four and walked none while allowing just one hit in four innings, helping shut down top-ranked Charlotte Christian — who’ve won five straight state championships — after it scored twice in the top of the first.
HPCA scored twice in the first and twice in the second to lead 4-2, then broke free with five runs in the fifth. Wilkinson and Lawson had back-to-back sacrifice flies in the first, and Fischvogt and Hopkins had back-to-back RBI singles in the second. Then, Lawson had a key two-run single to highlight the nine-batter fifth.
“They went up 2-0, and we came right back and put two runs on the board,” said Lawson, a junior in his first season with the Cougars. “You can’t beat that. We knew that this was a big game and that we could see them again in the state championship. We knew we’d have to get a lead and keep the pressure on them.
“We came in and got five runs — going back out there as a pitcher with a seven-run lead, it’s just easy,” he said of the fifth inning. “It just felt great. I’ve struggling swinging the bat recently. And just to get that hit, my confidence has gone up. There’s nothing like it.”
The Knights (4-4) struggled with six wild pitches and five errors (including three in the fifth), and HPCA was quick to take advantage, particularly in pulling away. Miles Gary took the loss in four innings, allowing nine runs on six hits and two walks. Gary also had a hit and an RBI at the plate.
The Cougars return to action Tuesday at Dudley at 5:30 p.m.
“It’s one game on the schedule,” Gesell said. “It is a big game; it is Charlotte Christian. It’s a game that you circle because you know they’re always really good. So, we’re going to take the good things from it. They’re not going to give us the state championship trophy today. But hopefully we can keep working hard and get there.”
