Box Score BOX SCORE

Freshman Mike Petilli went 5-1/3 innings in his first career start and put the High Point University baseball team in position for a win but UNC Greensboro scored eight runs off the HPU bullpen to take a 12-4 win over the Panthers.

Petilli allowed four runs on eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts in his first career start and left the game with the Panthers ahead 4-3. Junior Nick Schumacher allowed two runs on two hits in 1/3 of an inning for his first loss of the season. Jonathan Jones earned the win for the Spartans, pitching 2-1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He gave up three hits and a walk to go with two strikeouts.

“This was a carbon copy of the game we played against them two weeks ago,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “Right now we aren't getting any production from the bullpen and you can't win games if you don't get outs in the late innings. Petilli gave us a solid outing and Ryan Retz got things going for us offensively.”

Retz was 3-4 with two doubles and a stolen base. He drove in two of High Point's four runs and scored one.
Petilli gave up a single to John Hein to start the game and a double off the bat of Trevor Edwards plated Hein. With one out and runners on first and second the freshman induced a double play off the bat of Eric Brindle to end the inning with the Spartans only able to score one run.

High Point quickly took back the lead, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. Retz doubled down the left field line to score Sal Pezzino who led off the inning with a walk. Murray White IV picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly to right and Retz scored on Robbie Gilles' base hit to left centerfield.

Petilli kept UNCG off the scoreboard until the fifth inning when he gave up two runs on three hits, which tied the game at 3-3.

Drew Geissinger walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth and stole second on a bad pickoff attempt by UNC Greensboro. The Spartans appeared to have Geissinger picked off when he broke from first but no one covered second base and Geissinger stole his fourth base of the season. Retz singled to center to score Geissinger and give Petilli back the lead.

In the sixth inning Petilli got the first out but walked third baseman Thomas Troelstrup, bringing Schumacher out of the bullpen. Schumacher allowed the inherited runner to score, as well as giving up two runs of his own while only recording one out. Kyle Wigmore was the third Panther pitcher of the inning. He gave up two runs before ending the sixth with a strikeout of Ray Crawford. UNCG led 8-4 at the end of six innings. Wigmore loaded the bases in the eighth before he was relieved by Mikel Rodenberg. Rodenberg gave up a bases clearing double to Edwards, extending UNCG's lead to 11-4.

Steven Schils pitched the final 2-2/3 innings and gave up just one unearned run with two walks and four strikeouts.

The Panthers had one hit in each of the last four innings but couldn't put together a late game rally.

High Point (21-27) will travel to Boone, N.C. on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. game at Appalachian State. The Panthers beat ASU, 10-6, in a rain-shortened five-inning game at Williard Stadium on March 15.