Eammon Portice tossed a two-hit, complete-game shutout to lead High Point to a 6-0 blanking of Ball State Saturday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader at Erath Field.

The Panthers rallied for a 6-4 win in the second game to complete the sweep of the twin-bill and improve to 8-11 on the year. The visiting Cardinals drop to 6-7.

In the opener, Portice (3-0) struck out a season-high 12 hitters and yiedled just a second-inning single to Marc Franz and a double to Mike Sullivan in the ninth.

Chris Ramirez went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs for HPU, while Josh Cotten drove in three runs with a pair of hits in game one.

Cotten's two-run double in the first off Ball State starter Ben Snyder (0-3) got the Panthers on the board, and HPU added single runs in the second and fifth before tacking on two more in the seventh. Jeremy Neyra slugged one of his three doubles on the day to drive in Ramirez, and an RBI groundout by Randy Schwartz later in the inning plated Neyra.

Game two saw the Cardinals jump out to a 4-0 lead with four runs off Cotten in the top of the first, including a two-run homer by Brad Miller. But Cotten (1-1)allowed just one hit from then on in five innings of work, and the Panther offense picked him up with a five-run fifth to surge in front, 5-4.

HPU loaded the bases with no one out after two walks and a hit batsman. Bobby Brown's fielder's choice scored Ramirez, a single by Dustin Holtzman scored Neyra, Seby Renta singled home Brown and Schwartz's pinch-hit double plated Renta and Holtzman.

Matt Kniginyzky tossed two innings of scoreless relief for his first save of the season.

The Panthers out-hit Ball State by a combined 18-7 in both contests.

HPU will try to complete the three-game series sweep Sunday afternoon at Erath Field (1:00 pm).