Jaime Schultz Pitches High Point To Win Over Winthrop

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Redshirt-sophomore Jaime Schultz pitched the High Point University baseball team to a 4-2 win at Winthrop on Saturday in the final game of the regular season. The win guarantees High Point a spot in the Big South Conference Tournament.

The HPU pitching staff had kept the Eagles scoreless for 20 innings before the ninth inning. Winthrop broke through with two runs in the ninth inning before Devin Bujnovsky threw Chase Crane out at the plate to end the game.

“All the credit in the world goes to our guys,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “We did things the hard way a lot of the time this season but they showed tremendous heart this weekend. Jaime Schultz competed with every pitch and we scrapped and scored enough runs to win. I couldn’t be more proud but we have work to do to get ready for the Big South Conference Tournament.”

Schultz struck out a career-high nine batters in 8-1/3 innings. His previous career high was eight, which he did twice as a freshman, the last time against Charleston Southern on May 21, 2010. Schultz allowed one run on five hits and did not walk a batter. He is 3-3 on the season.

Freshman Joe Goodman entered the game with one out and a runner on first in the ninth inning. The inherited runner came in to score on a sacrifice fly. Elliott Caldwell grounded to Willie Medina for what appeared to be the final out of the game but the throw to second base sailed in to right field. Matt Lobacz scored and Crane rounded third as Bujnovsky came up throwing. HPU catcher Josh Spano tagged Crane out at home to end the game.

High Point ends the regular season with a 26-29 record and an 11-13 mark in Big South play. Winthrop finished the season at 17-35, 9-14 Big South. High Point will play in the Big South Conference Tournament beginning on Tuesday at Williard Stadium.

Spencer Angelis led off the fourth inning with a double down the right field line. Spano drove in his eighth run of the season with a sacrifice fly to center. Ryan Retz followed with a two-run homer to left field on the first pitch from Taylor Klitsch. Retz’s third homer of the season scored Sean Wilson who had walked. The Panthers led 3-0 after four innings.

Angelis roped another double in the fifth inning, this time down the left field line to sore Ryne Rush from first base and extend HPU’s lead to 4-0.

Winthrop put two runners on in the second inning but Schultz got a groundout and a pop up to Spano to end the inning. The Eagles had two singles again in the fourth inning and Schultz ended the threat with a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Justin Hopper.

Taylor Klitsch took the loss for Winthrop. The junior went 8-2/3 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on nine hits. He had two walks and two strikeouts in the game. He finished the season with a 4-7 record. Austin Stuart recorded the final out of the game for the Eagles.

Angelis finished the game 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Retz went 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored and Wilson went 1-3 with a double and a walk.

Seedings for the Big South Conference Tournament will be announced at the conclusion of Saturday’s games. High Point will play the last game on Tuesday, regardless of seed. The game will start at approximately 7:30 p.m.