Box Score Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC – Winthrop senior Chas Crane closed out his career with a 3-for-4 afternoon at the plate, but that was not enough to send the Eagles through to the Big South Conference Tournament as they fell 4-2 to High Point Saturday afternoon at the Winthrop Ballpark, ending their season.

With the loss, the Eagles close out the season with a record of 17-35 and 9-14 in the Big South.  The win for High Point improves its record to 26-29 on the year and 11-13 in the conference while clinching the eighth seed for the Big South Conference Tournament starting on Tuesday in High Point, NC.

Winthrop junior Tyler Klitsch (4-7) took the loss for the Eagles, throwing 8.2 innings giving up four runs, three earned, off of nine hits while surrendering two walks and striking out two batters.  Jamie Schultz (3-3) earned the win for the Panthers throwing 8.1 innings only allowing one earned run on five hits and striking out a career high nine batters and allowing no walks.

High Point took the lead in the fourth inning scoring three runs in the inning.  Spencer Angelis led off the inning for the Panthers with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on a wild pitch.  Angelis then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Josh Spano.  Ryan Retz also picked up two RBI in the inning on a two-run homerun to left field which scored Sean Wilson who walked two batters earlier extending the HPU lead to 3-0.

The Panthers plated their fourth and final run one inning later on Angelis' second consecutive double.  Ryne Rush scored on the play for High Point after he reached base on an error earlier in the inning.

In the ninth inning, the Eagles put some pressure on High Point following three straight Winthrop singles by T.J. Olesczuk, Matt Lobacz and Crane.  Winthrop pushed their first run across the plate on a sacrifice fly by senior Justin Hopper scoring pinch runner Patrick McLendon.  With two outs in the inning, freshman Elliott Caldwell reached on a fielder's choice which scored Lobacz when Willie Medina committed a throwing error attempting to throw Crane out at second.  Crane eventually was thrown out at home plate by right fielder Devin Bujnovsky ending the game and Winthrop's season.

Crane led the way for the Eagles at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance.  Lobacz added two hits for Winthrop while Hopper had the only RBI for the Eagles.  Retz and Angelis led the way for High Point with two hits on the afternoon.  Retz was also responsible for two of the four RBI for the Panthers.

Winthrop graduates three seniors, Justin Hopper, Chas Crane and Austin Stuart.  High Point will be the eighth seed in the Big South Conference Tournament and will face top-seeded Coastal Carolina on Tuesday.