A four-run eighth inning propelled the UNC Greensboro Spartans to an 8-7 come-from-behind victory over High Point in the Panthers home opener on Tuesday afternoon at George Erath Field.

The loss dropped HPU to 5-6 on the season while the win was the first of the year for UNCG (1-3), after being swept at Georgia this past weekend. The two squads combined for 24 hits but also committed seven errors in the game.

After both teams failed to score in either of the first two innings, the third inning was filled with fireworks as seven runs and six errors were recorded. UNCG struck first plating a pair of runs in the top of the frame. Brandon Harvey reached on an error and then advanced to second following a second miscue on a failed pick-off attempt. Logan Smith drove Harvey in with a single to center and moved to second after a fielding error. Jermaine Mitchell pushed Smith home with a single to left.

High Point answered with five runs of their own in the bottom of the inning capitalizing on three errors by the Spartans. Alfie Wheeler led off the frame by reaching first after a throwing error by the shortstop. Jeff Cowan's double scored Wheeler and then Chris Norwood doubled down the leftfield line to plate Cowan and knot the score at two. Mark Shorey singled moving Norwood to third forcing UNCG starter Wes McCall to the dugout. Randy Schwartz then bounced a ball off the Spartan third baseman scoring Norwood and advancing Shorey to second. Billy Aguiar sacrificed Shorey and Schwartz up a base and J. Williams followed with a run-scoring groundout to third. Dustin Holtzman doubled down the rightfield line scoring Schwartz for the final run of the inning.

"This was a disappointing game to lose," said HPU head coach Sal Bando, Jr. "However, I'm even more disappointed in our defensive performance. We are struggling right now as a team in the field. I thought we produced enough offense to win the game and Matt Christie gave us another strong performance on the mound. We just have to keep working and improving. I also have to stay patient and keep reminding myself that this is a very young team. We will get better."

UNCG got another run in the fourth when Mike Mongiello got to first after striking out and having the ball get to the back stop. He stole second and then was driven in on a single up the middle by Harvey.

HPU added another score in the bottom of the fourth as Norwood singled to drive in Wheeler, who reached base with a single and was sacrificed to second by Cowan. The Panthers pushed their lead to 7-3 with a run in the fifth. Holtzman tripled to center field and following a pair of walks to Ryan Laboy and Wheeler, he was pushed across the plate on a groundout to third by Cowan.

The Spartans closed the gap with a single run in the sixth when Mongiello singled, stole second and scored on a single by Smith.

High Point starter Matt Christie, who went six strong innings allowing just one earned run on seven hits with seven strikeouts, gave way to the Panther bullpen in the seventh. After Zach Zupan pitched a scoreless inning of work, the freshman lefthander got into trouble in the eighth giving up a double to Mongiello and a single to Harvey. Senior Chris Marks replaced Zupan and saw Smith score Mongiello after an error by the third baseman. Greg Matson followed with a double down the left field line that scored a pair and knotted the score at seven.  Matson scored the game winner on a single from Mitchell.

The top of the Panther lineup had a solid hitting day as Cowan (2-4), Norwood (3-5) and Shorey (2-4) combined to go 7-for-13 driving in four runs and scoring three. Holtzman also had a strong day at the plate going 3-for-5 with an RBI.

A quartet of UNCG hitters posted multi-hit performances with Smith leading the way with a 2-for-3 outing including three RBIs and two runs scored.

Spartan reliever Patrick Currin (1-1) earned the victory after pitching four scoreless innings allowing just two HPU hits. Marks (2-1) suffered the loss.