HPU Baseball Drops Elimination Game To Longwood, 11-3

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The High Point University baseball team fell to Longwood by a score of 11-3 in an elimination game of the Big South Baseball Championship on Wednesday morning in Lynchburg, Va. Senior Ryan Retz went 2-4 in the game with a home run.

“Obviously this was not the result we expected today,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “I am extremely appreciative of what our seniors and our captains did with this team this year. Most of the seniors whose collegiate careers ended today played in our program for four seasons. They deserved better but it didn’t turn out that way. That is baseball sometimes. These guys have left the program in much better shape than the way they found it and should be proud of what happens in the future because they set the foundation.”

Longwood scored the first run of the game in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly by Alex Owens. High Point tied the game in the bottom of the second with three-straight two-out singles. Junior Kyle Brandenburg hit a bunt single and moved to second on a single by sophomore Dane McDermott. Senior Willie Medina then tied the game with an RBI single through the left side of the infield, scoring Brandenburg.

The Lancers came right back in the top of the third with three-straight extra-base hits to go ahead 3-1. Colton Konvicka and Matt Dickason hit back-to-back RBI doubles for Longwood to put LU ahead by two.

Senior Ryan Retz pulled High Point within one with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the third, making the score 3-2. Retz sent the first pitch he saw over the bullpen in left for his team-best sixth home run of the season.

Longwood took control of the game with seven runs in the top of the fourth to go ahead 10-2. Dickason hit a two-run single and Scott Burkett hit a three-run home run to left-center to score five of the Lancers’ seven runs in the frame.

Down nine in the ninth, 11-2, High Point scored one run on an RBI groundout by Medina to make the final score 11-3. Brandenburg was hit by a pitch and sophomore Stephen Wytiaz hit a double to the left field corner ahead of Medina.

Medina finished 1-4 on the day with two RBI while Brandenburg went 1-3 with two runs scored.

Senior Jacob Newberry took the loss for High Point, just his third loss of the season. Newberry allowed seven runs on nine hits over 3-1/3 innings while striking out four.

Brandon Vick threw a complete game to pick up the win for Longwood. Vick allowed three runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out six.

The Lancers improve to 25-27 overall on the season and will advance to take on the loser of the game between No. 2 Coastal Carolina and No. 6 Gardner-Webb on Thursday.

High Point finishes the 2013 season with a 29-29 overall record. The 29 wins for the Panthers is the second-most in a single season by HPU in the Div. I era.