CONWAY, S.C. – The High Point University Panther baseball team saw its season and stay at the Bojangles' Big South Baseball Championship come to an end on Friday morning when UNC Asheville erupted for nine runs in the eighth inning to capture the 12-2 victory at Charles Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field.

With the loss, High Point closes the 2006 campaign at 27-32. The 27 victories is a new HPU program high for season wins in their seven-year Division I Era. The Panthers also made a return to the Big South Tournament for the first time in four years after posting a program best 14-10 mark in league play. The win improves UNC Asheville to 26-33 and advances them into a 7 p.m. battle against Liberty for a chance to play in Saturday's tournament championship game.

"This was a disappointing way to finish the year," said HPU head coach Sal Bando, Jr. "We struggled today, but we will not let that overshadow the tremendous season that we had. I am extremely proud of the effort and character of this team. We accomplished some goals for this program and have established a strong base that we can build on for the coming years."

The game was a fairly evenly contested game through the first seven innings as UNC Asheville built a 3-1 lead on just three hits. All that changed in the eighth as the sixth-seeded Bulldogs sent 13 runners to the plate in the top half of the inning plating nine runs on five hits. UNCA also benefited from a pair of HPU errors in the inning which extended their at-bat and made all of the runs scored unearned.

UNC Asheville moved one runner across in the top of the fourth to grab the early 1-0 lead.  Edmund Locklear was hit by a pitch to lead the inning off, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rob Vernon.  A ground out by Brett Robinson moved Locklear to third and then scored on a wild pitch by HPU starter David Parker.

In the bottom of the fifth, High Point knotted the game at one with a run.  Matt Gantner led the inning off with a walk, and moved to second as Dustin Holtzman was hit by a pitch.  Alfie Wheeler, drew a walk to load the bases with no outs and the top of the HPU order coming to the plate.  Jeff Cowan and Chris Norwood both struckout before Gantner finally scored on a wild pitch by UNC Asheville reliever Ben Buchanan. Buchanan then got Mark Shorey to ground out and quelch the HPU threat.

"Not being able to score more than one run in the fifth with the bases loaded was just a heartbreaker for us," added Bando. "Our top three hitters have delivered for us in those situations most of the year but today we just were a little to anxious and were not able to execute. You have to give some of the credit to Buchanan for pitching them out of a jam."

In the top of the sixth UNC Asheville plated one runner to retake the lead at 2-1.  Elliot Arrington led off with a double to right, and moved to third on a sacrifice fly by Edmund Locklear.  Arrington would score on a passed ball.

The Bulldogs added a run in the top of the seventh to push their lead to 3-1.  John Whited lead off the inning with a walk and moved to third on a failed pick-off attempt.  Steve Burnich brought home Whited with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt.

That set up the furious happenings of the eighth that included a pair of fielding errors by the Panthers, a pair of infield hits and a pinch-hit three run homer by Charles Pippitt.

High Point got one back in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to 12-2. Cowan led off with a walk and moved to second on a single by Norwood.  A wild pitch by Andrew Alexander moved Cowan and Norword to third and second.  Shorey drew a walk to load the bases.  J. Williams brought home Cowan with a sacrifice fly to center.

Buchanan picked up the win for UNC Asheville improving to 5-5 after working three perfect innings. Parker took the loss, falling to 2-4 on the season, after going six innings of three-hit ball allowing just one earned run. Reliever Bubba O'Donnell pitched two innings giving up six hits and nine runs of which none were earned. Brandon Moore worked the final inning for the Panthers.

The Panthers mustered just four hits on the day with Cowan, Norwood, Williams and pinch hitter Eric Marion each recording one.