The High Point Panther baseball team mounted a furious late-inning charge on Sunday afternoon but it came up just short as the Panthers dropped a 13-11 decision in their weekend series finale with the University of South Florida at Red McEwen Field.
 
High Point slipped to 2-4 on the year with the loss while USF improved to 3-0 after earning the series victory.

For the second consecutive game, HPU scored runs in their first at-bat scoring three runs in the first inning. With two outs, Chris Norwood singled to left then moved to second when Billy Manion drew a walk. Matt Schlanger followed with an RBI single to right scoring Norwood and moving Manion to third. Randy Schwartz, who has tallied a hit in every game, drove in the next run slapping a double to right. Anthony Bell closed the scoring with an RBI single.
 
After stranding runners at second and third in the first, USF got rolling in the bottom of the second inning plating seven runs on five hits to take a 7-3 lead.

South Florida added to their lead scoring a run in the third and two more scores in the fourth. The Bulls upped their advantage to 11-3 with another run in the sixth.

In the eighth, High Point started its rally pushing across three runs to close the gap to 11-6. Jeff Cowan led off the frame with a walk and moved to third on a double by Norwood. Manion then drew a walk to load the bases. After a USF pitching change, pinch hitter Max Fulginiti plated a pair of runs reaching base on an error by the Bulls' second baseban. Pablo Rosario added a sacrifice fly to plate the final run of the frame.

USF countered the Panther's eighth-inning attack with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, which proved to be the deciding scores in light of HPU's final at-bat.
 
Alfie Wheeler doubled down the right field line to open the ninth for High Point. Robby Kuzdale and Cowan both earned walks to fill the bases. Norwood then laced a ball up the middle driving in a pair of runs, making the score 13-8. Manion recorded his third walk of the game. A passed ball allowed another HPU run and moved runners to second and third. Fulginiti followed with a walk loading the bases again. Schwartz grounded a ball to short but reached base and drove in two runs after an error by USF's shortstop to pull to within 13-11. After a fly ball to right recorded the first out the inning, HPU saw its surge come to an end on a 4-6-3 double play. The Panthers scored five runs on two hits and one error in the frame.

HPU starter Tony Flores (1-1) was charged with the loss allowing six hits and six earned runs in two innings of work. Zach Scott, RJ Chlebnikow, Joe Miller, Tom Boleska and Brandon Moore all saw action on the mound for High Point. Boleska, the Panthers' closer, recorded a trio of strikeouts in his inning of work.

Offensively, Norwood led HPU going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored while Cowan added a pair.

Chris Delaney (1-0) earned the win for USF tallying three strikeouts with just one walk in five innings of work after taking over for Bull starter Davis Bilardello, who allowed three runs in one inning of work. Matt Wagner recorded the final three outs and thwarted the HPU rally to earn his first save of the year.

High Point next returns to the diamond on Tuesday against Western Carolina. The Panthers and Catamounts will play at First Horizon Park in Greensboro with first pitch slated for 2:30 p.m.