HIGH POINT, NC – North Carolina A&T made an impressive comeback Wednesday night. Unfortunately, the High Point University (HPU) Panthers returned the favor.
The Panthers rallied to score four runs in the home half of the ninth inning to defeat the Aggies 11-10 in non-conference collegiate baseball play at Willard Stadium. In the ninth inning, James Murphy hit a three-run home run to tie the game 10-10 before Miggy Echazarreta provided the walk-off RBI single off freshman right-hander Jordan Bright to lead the Panthers to the win.
Freshman Bruce Wyche went 3-for-5, including a double, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored in a loss that dropped A&T to 10-21 during the 2025 season. Junior Nick DiCarlo added three RBIs for the Aggies.
In addition to his walk-off single, Echazarreta also had two doubles and scored twice. The No. 2 man in the Panthers lineup, Jackson Melton, went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored, helping the Panthers improve to 22-11.
Wyche, A&T's leadoff man, opened Wednesday's game by powering out his fifth home run this season, a towering shot to center field off HPU starter Cord Butler. HPU responded with three runs in its half of the first inning to take a 3-1 lead off A&T junior right-handed starter Matt Murtagh.
But A&T had an answer to open the second. Junior Andrew Tinsley singled before advancing to second on a wild pitch with one out in the frame. Butler hit senior Enrique Wood with a 2-2 pitch and sophomore Jason Campo with a 2-1 pitch to load the bases. That led to an RBI single by DiCarlo and an RBI sacrifice fly from Wyche to tie the game 3-3.
It remained 3-3 until the home fourth when a Jake McCarter solo home run and a Melton three-run homer gave the Panthers a 7-3 lead. The Aggies used the next three innings to methodically get back into the ballgame and eventually take the lead.
In the visitor's sixth inning, Wood's RBI double got the Aggies to within three before Wyche opened the A&T seventh with a double off HPU reliever to RHP Howell Polk. Wyche stole third before freshman Tyler Smith grounded out to shortstop to score Wyche to cut the Panthers lead to 7-5. Polk struck out the final two batters he faced to end the inning.
A&T completed its comeback in the eighth inning against RHP Adam Grintz. An Ellis Reid infield single and a throwing error by the Panthers allowed the Aggies to put runners on first and second. Wood followed with a pop-out and Campo moved Reid and senior Kristian Amaro into scoring position with two outs.
Another HPU error allowed Reid and Amaro to score to tie the game 7-7. DiCarlo reached second base on the error, setting up Wyche's RBI single to give the Aggies their first lead since Wyche's leadoff homer to start the game. The Aggies padded their lead in the visitor's ninth.
RHP Dalton Olsovsky (W, 1-0) opened the ninth on the mound for HPU. With one out, he hit Reid with a 3-2 pitch before Amaro singled. Wood loaded the bases with an infield single, leading Reid to score on a wild pitch. The Aggies lead moved to three on Campo's RBI single to score Amaro, giving the Aggies a 10-7 lead going into the ninth inning, where the Panthers rallied against A&T RHP Carter Daniels (L, 1-3).
