High Point won for the fourth consecutive game after handing Winthrop a 4-3 loss in the Big South series opener between the two squads on Friday night at Winthrop Ballpark.

The Panthers, who have won nine of their last 11, improved to 13-20 overall and 6-4 in Conference play. Winthrop drops to 13-20 and 3-4.

HPU starter Ryan Basham (1-4) picked up his first win of the season after recording his third quality start in a row. Basham limited Winthrop to just five hits and two earned runs in six plus innings of work. Ryan Schwartz (3-4) took the loss for Winthrop after allowing all four of the Panther runs in 5.1 innings.

High Point out hit Winthrop 10-5 on the night led by a 3-for-5 outing for Billy Alvino. Randy Schwartz and Drew Geissinger both had two hits and drove in a run.

High Point put a run on the board in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead. Schwartz led off the frame with a single and moved to third on a double by Geissinger. Max Fulginiti lifted a sacrifice fly to center field allowing Schwartz to score.

Winthrop moved in front 2-1 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. John Murrian recorded a sacrifice fly and Bennett Jordan followed with an RBI single.

The Panthers knotted the score at 2 in the fourth after Schwartz led off the inning by belting his team-leading eighth homerun of the season and third homer in the last four games. The hit was also the 229th of his career making him the all-time career hits leader in High Point program history.

The Eagles retook the lead at 3-2 with a run in the bottom of the frame when Murrian laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt allowing Bryn Henderson to cross the plate.

In the sixth, High Point rallied with a pair of runs to seize a 4-3 advantage. Alvino led things off with a single and moved up a base when Schwartz drew a walk. Chris Norwood followed with pinch-hit RBI double driving in Alvino. Following a Winthrop pitching change, Geissinger scored Schwartz with an infield single to short.

High Point looked to add an insurance run in the seventh, loading the bases with one out but was unable to push another score across the plate.

Winthrop had a chance in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runners on with one out, but reliever Jeremy Berg retired the next two Eagle batters to end the threat. Berg then worked a perfect eighth inning before passing the ball to HPU closer Bubba O'Donnell, who earned his fifth save of the season, after setting down WU in order in the ninth.

The Panthers and Eagles continue their weekend set on Saturday at 4 p.m.