The High Point baseball team scored four runs in the seventh inning to rally past Charlotte for a 7-6 win on Sunday afternoon at Greensboro's First Horizon Park.

The Panthers (1-1) trailed 6-2 in the fourth inning before finally getting some timely hits including four in the decisive frame. With the victory, High Point salvaged a split in their season-opening series against the 49ers (1-1).

In blustery conditions including wind gusts of close to 25 mph, Charlotte got out of the gate early scoring four runs in the top of the second inning.

Aaron Bray, who went 3-for-4 on the day, led off with a single to left and advanced to second on a fielding error by HPU's Matt Gantner. After Kris Rochelle walked, both Niner runners moved up a base on a wild pitch by Panther starter Matt Christie. Alex Burt followed with a single driving in the first run then Alex Chapman added a sacrifice fly to put Charlotte up 2-0. Cory Lane added a run scoring double, one of his two in the game, and moved to third on a HPU throwing error. After the Panthers threw Lane out at home on a fielder's choice, Spencer Steedley wrapped up the scoring for the Niners with an RBI double.

High Point cut the lead in half in the third inning as Alfie Wheeler walked and moved to second on one of Robby Kuzdale's two hits on the day. Jeff Cowan advanced the runners with a groundout followed by Chris Norwood's two-run single to right.

Charlotte pushed their lead back to four runs at the top of the next frame when Steedley slammed a two-out two-runner homer over the right field fence off of HPU reliever Tony Flores. It was the lone blemish for Flores (1-0), who picked up the victory for the Panthers working five innings.

HPU got a run in the bottom of the fourth getting singles from Billy Alvino and Gantner. Anthony Bell reached on a fielding error by the Charlotte shortstop to load the bases followed by a sacrifice fly by Wheeler.

After a pair of scoreless innings for both teams, High Point mounted their game deciding flurry in the bottom of the seventh. Kuzdale and Cowan led things off with back-to-back singles off Niner reliever Zach Rosenbaum. Following a sharp lineout by Norwood, Matt Schlanger drove in Kuzdale and moved Cowan to third with a single. Sam Pierce replaced Rosenbaum for Charlotte and immediately hit Alvino with a pitch to load the bases then gave up an RBI single to Randy Schwartz cutting the HPU deficit to 6-5.

Another pitching change brought Matt Foard to the hill for Charlotte. Foard induced pinch hitter Bill Manion to ground an RBI fielder's choice to short for what looked like a sure double-play, but an errant throw on the relay got past the Niner first baseman allowing the winning run to score as the throw to the plate got past the Charlotte catcher moving Manion to second.

"It was pretty ugly early on," said HPU head coach Sal Bando, Jr. "I was proud of our team for not quitting. We grinded out some at-bats and then finally were able to make solid contact and score some runs. I think we learned today that the game is never over if we keep fighting. Tony Flores did a great job of giving us innings and putting up some zeroes on the board."

High Point junior hurler Bubba O'Donnell worked the final two innings of the game to earn his first save of the year. O'Donnell did not allow a hit in facing just six batters in his appearance.

Both teams posted 10 hits in the game and left eight runners stranded. Charlotte finished the game with four errors to just two by High Point.

Eight different Panthers recorded hits in the game with Kuzdale and Norwood leading the way with two each.

The Panthers continue their season-opening home stand against Longwood in a game scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday at First Horizon Park.