HPU Baseball Falls at No. 22 Virginia Tech, 11-4

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The High Point University baseball team dropped an 11-4 decision on the road at No. 22 Virginia Tech on Wednesday night in Blacksburg, Va. Senior Ryan Retz went 3-5 in the game an RBI and three runs scored.

“This game really just comes down to making plays and competing,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “Unfortunately we really didn’t start competing today until the late innings when we brought some guys off the bench. We got some guys that need to look around and figure some stuff out. We will get back after it tomorrow at practice and prepare for Gardner-Webb.”

High Point fell behind in the first inning when Virginia Tech pushed across two runs to take an early 2-0 lead. The Panthers came back with a run in the top second inning on an RBI groundout by graduate student Adam Barry. Retz led off the inning with a double off the wall in left and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt before coming home on the Barry groundout.

Virginia Tech scored three times in the bottom of the third inning to go ahead 5-1. Mark Zagunis hit an RBI double then came around to score along with Chad Pinder on an RBI single by Brendon Hayden.

Retz scored his second run of the game in the top of the fourth inning to pull HPU back within three at 5-2. The pitcher hit a one-out double to the wall in left-center and came around to score on an RBI single by sophomore Mike Miedzianowski.

Virginia Tech pulled away with three runs in the sixth and three runs in the seventh to go ahead 11-2 entering the final two innings. Alex Perez picked up two RBI in both innings for the Hokies.

The Panthers pushed across final two runs of the contest in the top of the eighth to make the score 11-4. Junior Blake Hutton led off the inning with a pinch-hit double and came around to score on a single by Retz. Sophomore Stephen Wytiaz drove in Retz for his third run of the day three batters later with an RBI single.

Retz suffered the loss on the mound after allowing eight runs, four earned, over five innings. Retz gave up 11 hits and struck out three.

Hayden got the win for Virginia Tech after pitching four innings and allowing two runs on four hits.

Wytiaz finished as the only other HPU player with multiple hits, going 2-2 with an RBI after entering the game in the seventh inning.

The Panthers drop to 24-25 overall with Wednesday’s loss while Virginia Tech improves to 31-19.

High Point will wrap up its home schedule this weekend when it hosts Gardner-Webb in a three-game conference series beginning on Friday, May 10. First pitch in the game is set for 6 p.m.