Elon pounded out 15 hits and Matt Garner threw eight solid innings to help the Phoenix down High Point, 16-5, in the Big South baseball opener for both teams Friday afternoon at Erath Field.

The loss snaps High Point's four-game winning streak.

The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon due to the inclement weather forecast for the weekend.

The Phoenix (11-8-1, 1-0 Big South) got home runs from catcher Wes Miller and second baseman Paul Bennett (each the first of the season). Miller drove in six runs.

The brightest spot for HPU (7-11, 0-1) was designated hitter Ken Keesee, who hit solo homers in the fifth and seventh innings to account for 40 percent of the Panthers' scoring. Keesee now has four home runs this season.

Elon scored one run in the first and three in the fourth off HPU starter Kevin Burch (2-3). Miller's two-out double in the fourth was the big blow, and cleared the bases of Mike Hromadka, Robbie Smith, and Brian Ingram to give the Phoenix a 4-0 advantage.

HPU got on the board in the bottom of the fifth on Keesee's solo shot, but the Phoenix put four on the board in the sixth, three each in the seventh and eighth and two in the ninth to put things out of reach.

Garner (4-2) allowed three runs in eight innings of work and struck out seven Panthers.

HPU's Matt Kniginyzky (1-3) duels Elon's Brian Hensen (2-2) in Game 1 Saturday at noon, with Toby Hoskins (1-0) and Justin Weeks (1-1) facing off in the second game.