HIGH POINT, N.C. – North Carolina A&T middle relief pitched superbly, and senior right-handed closer Connor Blantz (S, 1) conducted his work to perfection, helping the Aggies earn a 5-4 non-conference baseball win over the High Point University Panthers Tuesday night at Truist Point, home of the minor league baseball's High Point Rockers.
The Aggies received four innings of solid relief from sophomore RHP Carter Daniels (W, 1-1) to improve to 20-16 overall. It is the fastest A&T has reached 20 wins since 2017 when they started 20-14. The Panthers only had three hits as they dropped to 19-17.
A&T went into the seventh inning leading 4-3 but got an insurance run during the frame. Graduate infielder Tatsunori Negishi singled with one out, followed by a double to left field by junior catcher Canyon Brown. Senior infielder Tre Williams then hit a sharp groundball to first. HPU first baseman Brayden Simpson thought about firing home to throw out Negishi but stepped on the first-base bag instead. Negishi scored to give the Aggies a two-run lead going into the home seventh.
HPU got to within a run in the seventh. The Panthers led off the inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Daniels, however, got Peyton Carr to into a double play. It allowed HPU's Konni Durschlag to score, cutting A&T's lead to 5-4. Adam Stuart grounded out to end the inning.
LHP Tyler Romanias (L, 0-1) entered the game for the Panthers to open the eighth. Romanias retired the Aggies in order before Daniels pitched around a two-out error to send the game into the ninth inning. The Aggies put a runner aboard when senior outfielder Michael Logan singled with one out. But the inning ended when he was caught stealing.
Daniels opened the ninth by walking pinch-hitter Patrick Matthews. That led to the Aggies replacing Daniels with Blantz. Blantz got Durschlag to ground out, advancing the tying run, Matthews, to second base. Blantz stood firm against the threat, striking out the final two Panthers he faced to secure the win.
It was a win in which the Aggies had to rally after Dawson Harmon's two-run home run in the fourth inning off graduate RHP Avery Cain gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead. A&T quickly responded in the visitor's fifth as the Aggies loaded the bases with no outs. RHP Howell Polk replaced LHP Zack Oswald on the mound only to have him walk Logan to force in a run.
Negishi hit into a double play next, but it allowed junior infielder Enrique Wood to score, cutting A&T's deficit to 3-2. Brown followed by squeezing a single through the left side to tie the game at 3-3 as Shemar Dalton. A Williams groundout finally ended the A&T threat.
The Aggies took the lead for good in the sixth inning, as a leadoff single from senior TJ Ash opened the frame. He made a significant move with two outs in the inning, stealing second to move himself into scoring position. Wood took advantage with an RBI to give the Aggies a 4-3 lead before they added their insurance run in the seventh.
Negishi, Brown, and Wood each had two hits. The Aggies return to Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play this weekend when they host the Delaware Blue Hens at War Memorial Stadium. The first game takes place Friday, April 19, at 6 p.m.
