After waiting two days for its first pitch of 2006 because of heavy rains, the High Point baseball team earned a doubleheader split on Sunday against Bethune-Cookman.

HPU (1-1) dropped the opening game 5-2 to the Wildcats (1-1) before rallying in the ninth inning for a 7-6 come-from-behind win in the second game at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

The Panthers fell behind early in the season opener as Bethune-Cookman scored a pair of runs in the first inning and added a third in the second against redshirt-freshman pitcher Tom Boleska.  Boleska, who pitched 4.2 innings, gave up a fourth run in the bottom of the fifth before being replaced by junior Matt Christie.

High Point finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the eighth trimming the lead in half with a pair of runs. Junior catcher Justin Pinyan got things started with a double to leftfield and scored as freshman Alfie Wheeler followed with a double down the rightfield line. Freshman Jeff Cowan drove in Wheeler with a third straight double.

BCC answered with run in the bottom of the eighth to close the scoring. Wheeler went 2-for-4 in the game and drove in the first run for the Panthers. Boleska suffered the loss with RJ Rodriguez earning the win for the Wildcats after pitching seven scoreless innings.

HPU got things started quickly in the second game of the day jumping in front 3-0 with two runs in the first and another in the second. Cowan doubled to lead off the game and advanced to third on a fielder's choice by Chris Marks. Chris Norwood plated Cowan with a single and Marks crossed the plate after a throwing error allowed Dustin Holtzman to get on base.

In the second, freshman Billy Aguiar singled and advanced to second on a fielding error. After a walk by Wheeler, Cowan reached base on a fielding error that advanced both HPU runners. Junior J. Williams grounded into a double-play allowing Aguiar to score.

Bethune-Cookman got on the board in the bottom of the second scoring a trio of runs aided by a pair of walks, a hit batter and a throwing error on a pickoff move. BCC then scored two more runs in the bottom of the third.

High Point answered in the sixth inning posting a run as Randy Schwartz lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Wheeler, who had singled advanced to second on a passed ball and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Williams. A pair of Wildcat doubles in the bottom half of the frame gave them the run back setting up the dramatic final inning.

Trailing 6-4 heading into the top of the ninth, High Point opened the inning with a single by Marks before seeing the next two batters make outs. Down to their final out, Holtzman kept the Panthers alive with a single followed by freshman Ryan Laboy's pop up to right that was dropped allowing Marks to score. Aguiar then stepped to the plate and slapped a single up the middle pushing across a pair of runs and putting the Panthers in front, 7-6.

Junior lefthander Brandon Moore, making his second relief appearance of the day, closed out the game recording three strikeouts in a scoreless ninth. Marks, who served as the designated hitter and also pitched a scoreless eighth inning, earned the victory. Raphael Kyles pitched five innings in the loss for BCC.

Holtzman led the way for HPU at the plate finishing with four hits. Wheeler and Cowan both had three hits while Aguiar tallied a pair of hits including the game winner.

"It was a bittersweet day," said HPU fifth-year head coach Sal Bando, Jr. "We looked and played like a young team in the first game, but I know this group is only going to get better. Game two was definitely a great way to end things especially earning a come-from-behind victory. It was definitely a feel good win and it was nice to see our young guys bounce back and make the plays necessary to earn the victory."

High Point continues its 11-game season opening road trip with a game at Duke on Tuesday at 3 p.m.