HIGH POINT, N.C. – Junior Ryan Retz pitched his second complete game of the season as the High Point University baseball team picked up a 5-1 Big South win over Presbyterian College Friday night at Williard Stadium.
“Retz has really relished the role as the Friday night starter,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “Tonight was a special performance from him. We have a long stretch of games ahead and his complete game puts us in a great position. Sal Pezzino had a huge hit in the first inning. He blistered that ball in to the gap.”
Retz allowed one run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts for his fourth consecutive win. He improves to 6-2 on the season and a perfect 4-0 in Big South play. It is his second complete game of the season after he tossed one against VMI two weeks ago.
High Point moves to 22-14 on the season and 7-3 in Big South action. Presbyterian College is 14-21 overall and 2-8 in league play.
Retz cruised through the first five innings, allowing only one hit and striking out three. With two outs, Jay Lizanich struck out swinging but reached first on a passed ball. He was later thrown out attempting to steal second by catcher Josh Spano to end the inning.
The Panthers got on the board in the bottom of the first after a Sal Pezzino doubled to left centerfield with no outs and scored Sean Wilson and Willie Medina.
PC pushed across its first run in the sixth after Andrew Williams doubled off the right field wall on the first pitch he saw from Retz and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Billy Motroni. Retz retired three straight batters after the double to minimize any further damage.
High Point responded with runs of their own in the seventh. Devin Bujnovsky knocked a leadoff double off the right centerfield wall and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Spano. Mike Miedzianowski laid a safety squeeze bunt down the first base line to plate Bujnovksy and came around to score on a double by Dane McDermott to push the lead to 4-1.
Presbyterian starter Bud Jeter went 6-1/3 innings yielding four earned runs on five hits, walking two and striking out three. His record drops to 2-6 with the loss.
The Panthers will go for the series win on Saturday at 6 p.m. Matt Armstead will take the mound for High Point.