The High Point baseball squad dropped the opening game (8-4) but rebounded with an impressive victory (14-9) in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday versus Big South foe Charleston Southern at Buccaneer Field.

With the split, High Point improves to 6-3 in the Big South and 14-20 overall. The loss in the first game snapped HPU's five-game win streak but the second game win allowed the Panthers to match their Big South Conference win total from last season (6-18). The Buccaneers slipped to 5-7 in the league and 11-22 on the season.

The Panthers offense was led by Jeff Cowan, Chris Norwood and Mark Shorey. The trio all accumulated four hits on the day at the top of the HPU order. Cowan batted .667 (4-for-6) scoring four runs and drawing four walks. Norwood and Shorey both hit .400 (4-for-10) and each drove in four runs. Norwood finished with a pair of doubles on the day while Shorey belted his team leading 11th homer in game two.

In the day's opening game, HPU got on the board first plating three runs in the first inning. Cowan singled and Norwood doubled to lead things off. Cowan eventually scored on a passed ball and Norwood scored along with Billy Aguiar on an RBI-single from Randy Schwartz.

Charleston Southern closed the gap with a pair of runs in the third thanks in part to doubles by Wes Bunbridge and Anthony Hayes.

High Point added a single run in the fifth when Alfie Wheeler got hit by a pitch and worked his way around the bases before scoring on a wild pitch. CSU pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame off of HPU reliever David Parker. Three more runs off Parker in the sixth and a final run in the seventh provided all the cushion as the Bucs held on for the victory.

Senior righthander Ryan Sowers (3-3) picked up the complete-game win for CSU. After giving up three runs on three hits in the first, Sowers settled down, allowing just one more run on four hits the rest of the game. Parker (0-1), who followed a four-inning two run start by Matt Christie, took the loss after surrendering five runs on five hits in 1.2 innings of work.

Wes Brundridge paced CSU offensively for the second straight game, going three-for-four, scoring three runs and recording four RBI. Brundridge also went deep for the second time in as many games. Cowan and J. Williams each recorded a pair of hits to lead High Point at the plate in the contest. Shorey went 0-for-4 in the game snapping his 14-game hit streak.

For the third straight game the Panthers jumped out to the early lead in game two, putting five on the board in the top of the first. Cowan led off with a single then scored on Shorey's homer to right. Hits by Randy Schwartz and Dustin Holtzman aided the HPU opening scoring barrage. Hayes homered in the bottom of the first off High Point starter Tom Boleska to get a run back for the Bucs.

The Panthers used a four-run third to extend their lead to 9-2. The Bucs battled back, pulling to within 10-7 heading into the ninth inning.

High Point dashed any hope of a CSU rally after tacking on four insurance runs top of the ninth. Norwood posted a two-run scoring double with Aguiar and Holtzman driving in runs with singles in the frame.

Charleston loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning but HPU reliever Shorey ended the threat by mixing a strikeout and a pop out around a pair of run scoring walks.

Boleska (2-5) earned his second consecutive victory after scattering nine hits over five innings and striking out six. Chris Marks worked a pair of perfect innings of relief to help hold the game for the Panthers. Senior leftie Josh Evans (1-5) was tagged with the loss for CSU working 2.2 innings and allowing eight runs on eight hits and four walks.

All nine HPU batters produced a hit in the game with six players posting multi-hit performances. Shorey bounced back from his disappointing opening game with a team-leading 4-for-6, four RBI performance. Norwood went 3-for-6 with four RBIs and Cowan scored three times and earned three walks.

Justin Fyle paced the Bucs at the plate going 3-for-5 with four runs batted in.

High Point heads home to open a four-game home stand on Wednesday at 3 p.m. versus ACC-foe Duke at Erath Field. HPU defeated the Blue Devils 5-1 on Feb. 8 in Durham. The Panthers are slated to play 13 of their next 16 games at home.