The High Point baseball team lost an 8-4 contest to Big South rival Winthrop Sunday afternoon at Coy O. Williard Sr. Stadium.

Both teams exchanged runs in the first inning, the Eagles plated a run when John Murrian hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield pushing across Eddie Tisdale for the early 1-0 lead.

HPU responded in the bottom half of the inning, which began with an Alfie Wheeler single up the middle.  He advanced to second on a wild pitch, then up to third on a Bill Manion single to rightfield.  Kyle Mahoney stroked the first pitch he saw into rightfield as well, bringing Wheeler in to score and knotting the game at 1-1.

Winthrop posted three two-run innings over the next six frames, while the Panthers only responded with one run during that stretch.  In the second, Sean Sullivan got it started with a bunt single.  Garrett Koster drew a walk and Bryn Henderson also singled, loading the bases.  Tisdale's single through the left side brought home Sullivan and Koster.  Back-to-back singles and a walk to begin the fifth inning loaded the bases for Sullivan who drove in a run on a single down the rightfield line.  A Tony Brunetti sacrifice fly gave the Eagles a 5-1 lead after five.  In the top of the seventh, Sullivan and Brunetti started it off again with a walk and double, respectively to put runners in scoring position.  RBI singles by Cam Walters and Henderson pushed the lead to 7-1.

The Panthers responded in the bottom of the seventh with Wheeler leading off with a walk and Mahoney getting hit by a pitch with one out.  Billy Alvino laced a ball to centerfield loading them up.  Jeff Cowan drove a pitch up the middle scoring Wheeler, and Sal Pezzino picked up a RBI on a fielder's choice, leaving runners on the corners.  WU escaped anymore damage striking out the next batter.

The Eagles tacked on an insurance run the next half inning.  Murrian began it with a walk and moved up to second on a Eddie Rohan sac bunt.  Murrian crossed the plate on a Sullivan single.

Alvino, Spencer Andrews, Cowan and Manion led the High Point offense, each picking up two hits on the afternoon.  Wheeler scored a pair of runs and also extended his hitting streak to seven games.  Brian Jones suffered the loss, dropping his record to 0-3 on the year, giving up five runs on nine hits.  Mikel Rodenberg made his season debut tossing 2.1 innings and getting out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth inning.

Tisdale led the way for WU, racking up four hits, while Henderson and Sullivan each had three each.  Robert Lake improved to 3-0 tossing 6.1 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits.  Wade Newman worked a scoreless 2.2 innings in relief.

High Point travels to Tallahassee, Fla. To take on #6 Florida State in a two-game series on Tuesday (3/10) and Wednesday (3/11) at Dick Howser Stadium.  The game on Tuesday will be televised on the Sun Sports channel.  This will be the first ever meeting between the two schools and first pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. for both games.