High Point and Georgia Southern split an opening-day doubleheader Saturday in Statesboro.

The Panthers won the opener, 14-7, while the Eagles took the nightcap, 17-4.

Matt Kniginyzky scattered three runs over 5 2/3 innings and struck out five to earn the win in Game 1, while Clayton Gordner threw 3 1/3 innings for the save.

Freshman centerfielder Josh Doane went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in a team-high four runs, while first baseman Corey Stang (2-for-6, three RBI), third baseman Seby Renta (3-for-6) and second baseman Rey Rojas (2-for-5, two runs, two RBI) also had solid openers at the plate.

The Panthers benefitted from five GSU errors in the first three innings to open a 5-0 lead before the Eagles used a long sacrifice flyout to get on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the third. The Panthers quickly put the game out of reach with a five-run fifth inning to knock GSU starter Dustin Evans (0-1) out. Matt Calcagni delivered a one-out bases-loaded single before Rojas added a sacrifice flyout and, after Doane scored on a wild pitch, Stang singled sharply up the middle to plate two more High Point runs.

In the nightcap, the Panthers picked up where they left off and jumped on the Eagles again with four runs in the first. Matt Keever's two-run double was the big blow, and gave HPU a 4-0 cushion.

But Georgia Southern cut the lead in half with a pair of runs in the third off HPU starter Mark Shorey (0-1), and tagged the sophomore lefty for four runs in the fourth to go up 6-4. The Eagles scored at least two runs in each at-bat the rest of the way to secure the win and the doubleheader split.

The teams play the rubber game of the series at 1:30 pm Sunday.