Back-up catcher Justin Pinyan slapped a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth to propel the High Point Baseball team to a come-from-behind, 6-5, victory over VMI in Big South Conference action on Saturday at Erath Field.

The win, HPU's fourth straight and ninth in its last 10 games, pushes High Point to 8-3 in conference play (17-20 overall) and gives the Panthers their third straight conference weekend series victory. VMI has now dropped six consecutive games falling to 2-6 in the Big South and 20-12 on the year.

Pinyan, a redshirt junior from China Grove, N.C., got the game-winning hit after the Panthers allowed the Keydets to mount a furious rally of their own in the top half of the final frame.

For the second straight day, High Point got on the board in the first posting three runs in the home half of the inning. Jeff Cowan has hit by a pitch to start the game and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Following a walk drawn by Chris Norwood, Mark Shorey cleared the bases with a homer to left, his 12th this season.

The Keydets had chances to score putting a man on third in the second and loading the bases in the third, but both times HPU starter Matt Christie worked out of a jam without allowing a run.

The Panthers also fell into a slump against VMI starter Michael Bowman. After an Alfie Wheeler single in the second, Bowman did not give up another hit to HPU until a seventh inning single by Cowan.

VMI closed the gap plating a pair of runs in the sixth inning of Christie. Michael Roberts led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice by B.T. Good. Klint Reed then doubled to score Roberts. Reed advanced to third on a deep fly out to right ending Christie's day. Bubba O'Donnell plunked Shane Geisslinger putting men on the corners but Geisslinger got thrown out at second on a double-steal attempt that allowed Reed to score the second Keydet run.

High Point loaded the bases in sixth but didn't score but added an insurance run in the eighth. HPU starting catcher,Billy Aguiar was hit by a pitch to start the frame and then replaced by pinch runner Ryan Laboy. Laboy stole second and following a pair of flyouts scored on a single by Matt Gantner to set up the final inning excitement.

Yoder took first after being hit by a pitch and moved to second on a single from Geisslinger. Chad Rice hit a hard grounder back to the pitcher with the infield in and a throw to third for the force out was a bit late setting up bases loaded for the Keydets. Kelly Sweppenhiser pushed a run across with a fielder's choice up the middle followed by singles from Robert Crumpler and Jacoby Fields that gave VMI a 5-4 lead.

Wheeler led off the ninth for HPU with a single chasing VMI reliever JJ Hollenback. Fields, the Keydet closer, then entered the game and put Cowan aboard with a hit by pitch. After a flyout, Shorey drew a walk bringing Pinyan, who had replaced Aguiar at catcher, to the plate where he delivered the game winner. The double marked his first extra base hit of the year.

"This was another great win for our team" said HPU head coach Sal Bando, Jr. "It was a tremendous and unbelievable total team effort. The guys really picked each other and the coaching staff up all day long. I'm extremely proud of Justin Pinyan. He is a guy who refused to get down after losing the starting catchers job early in the year and just kept working hard everyday in practice. That determination paid off with a huge game winning hit for us today."

Chris Marks, who got the final two outs in the ninth, picked up the win for the Panthers improving to 4-3 this season while Fields slipped to 0-3 with the loss for VMI. Christie worked 5.2 innings and allowed just two earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. O'Donnell pitched 2.2 innings in relief giving up three runs. Bowman gave up just two hits in 5.2 innings of work for the Keydets.

High Point was out-hit 12-7 by the Keydets but capitalized on seven walks and three hit batsmen. Wheeler went 2-for-4 at the plate as the only Panther to record multiple hits on the day. Rice led the way offensively for VMI going 3-for-5 in the contest.

HPU and VMI conclude their weekend set with the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.