Big South-leading Birmingham-Southern rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth to record a 6-3 victory over High Point Saturday afternoon in a battle of Panthers at Erath Field.

The loss marked the 10th time this season High Point entered the ninth inning tied or ahead but was unable to pick up the victory.

Mac Godwin (5-1) got the win in relief, while Matt Kniginyzky (2-6) was the hard-luck loser for HPU. Connor Robertson struck out the side in the ninth for his Conference-best seventh save of the year.

BSC (31-10, 13-1 Big South) drew first blood with Ryan Griffith's fifth home run of the season in the top of the second. The solo shot gave the visiting Panthers a 1-0 lead, which they increased to 2-0 on Jared Walker's RBI groundout in the top of the third which scored Michael Wydner.

HPU (6-36, 1-13) cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning when Rey Rojas singled, advanced to second on a base hit by Matt Keever and scored on an RBI groundout by Chris Ramirez.

The homestanding Panthers clawed ahead with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth off BSC starter Josh Britnell. With two outs, Rojas reached on a fielding error and came home all the way from first on a double by Keever. Seby Renta then singled to bring home Keever for a 3-2 High Point lead.

BSC tied the score with a single run in the top of the seventh. Wydner led off with a double, and then pinch-runner Scott Billak advanced to second on a groundout by Matt Bogue and scored on a single to left center by Michael Cline.

Following a scoreless eighth, the visiting Panthers broke through for three runs (two unearned) in the ninth and a 6-3 lead. Pat Mizerany led off the inning with a single off Kniginyzky and advanced to second on a Bogue sacrifice bunt. He advanced to third on a Cline single and then rounded third and scored after the ball was bobbled in the outfield.

After Travis Motsinger relieved Kniginyzky on the mound, Cline stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on a bunt single by Walker. The final run of the inning came when Robertson, who had reached on a fielders choice, scored from third just before High Point tagged out Griffith in a rundown between first and second base for the third out.

Kniginyzky went 8 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs and nine hits while striking out three. Britnell yielded one earned run and struck out six in five innings, while Ronny Woods, Godwin and Robertson combined for four innings of scoreless relief.

Cline and Griffith each had three hits on the day for BSC. Keever led HPU with a pair of hits.

The teams play the series finale Sunday at 1:00 pm at Erath Field.  Mark Shorey will start for HPU against Birmingham-Southern's Wes Letson.

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