For the second time in three weeks, High Point took an Atlantic Coast Conference team to extra innings, but Virginia Tech scored twice in the 10th inning to outlast the Panthers, 7-5, Saturday afternoon in the opener of a two-game weekend series at Erath Field.

The Panthers saw their four-game win streak snapped and dropped to 5-6, while the Hokies improved to 4-1 on the year.

Jake Chaney (2-0) got the win in relief for Tech, while Matt Kniginyzky (1-2) took the loss in relief for HPU.

The extra-inning loss spoiled a solid start by High Point freshman Eammon Portice, who allowed just one earned run and fanned six in seven innings of work, but did not figure in the decision.

Mark Shorey, Bobby Brown and Dustin Holtzman each collected a pair of hits for the Panthers.

HPU struck with a run in the bottom of the first when Josh Doane walked, advanced to second on a groundout, stole third and scored on a fielder's choice by Jeremy Neyra for a 1-0 Panther lead. 

The Hokies pushed three runs across (two unearned) in the fourth to jump in front, 3-1. Matt Foley's two-run single plated Chris Stanton and Jose Cueto, and Jose Rojas's base hit scored Foley.

The Panthers got within 3-2 in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Doane which scored Holtzman, and tied things up off Tech starter Nicky Bowers in the seventh. Brown singled, moved to third on a sacrifice by Holtzman and then scored on an error by the Hokies' first baseman for a 3-3 deadlock.

Virginia Tech took a 5-3 lead in the top of the ninth on a two-out, two-run single by Nate Parks off HPU reliever Bob Helman. But the Panthers rallied in the bottom of the frame to force extra innings courtesy singles by Shorey and Holtzman. Coupled with a walk and a Tech throwing error, HPU pulled within 5-4 with one out in the bottom of the inning. Chaney, who entered the game in the eighth inning, intentionally walked Seby Renta to load the bases before hitting pinch-hitter Randy Schwartz with a pitch to push across the tying run. With the bases still loaded, Chaney coaxed a force play at home and a fly out to center to end the inning.

Tech scored twice in the 10th after back-to-back one-out singles by Cueto and Foley. Bryan Thomas followed with a double to score Cueto, and Foley came home on a wild pitch by Kniginyzky.

Chaney retired the Panthers in order in the bottom of the frame to help Tech hang on.

High Point now holds a 7-6-1 edge in the all-time series.

HPU's Rob Bland (0-2, 8.03) is scheduled to face the Hokies' Andrew Wells (0-0, 0.00) on Sunday in the 1:00 pm series finale.