The High Point University baseball team scored a pair of runs in the 10th inning to close out the regular season with a come-from-behind 9-7 victory over long time rival Elon on Wednesday night at Latham Park.

The Panthers (26-28) snapped a two game losing skid and earned a three-game sweep over the Phoenix (28-25) this season with the victory.

HPU held a 6-0 lead after three innings only to see Elon battle back with seven unanswered runs of their own to take a 7-6 advantage. High Point knotted the score with a run in the eighth before earning the win in extra innings.

High Point got on the board in the first inning as Robby Kuzdale led off with a single and moved to second as the Elon centerfielder misplayed the ball. A ground out by Pablo Rosario moved him to third and Jeff Cowan followed with an RBI single giving HPU a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers upped their advantage to 5-0 after pushing across four runs in the second. Randy Schwartz blasted a one-out homer, his team-leading ninth this year, to get the scoring started in the frame. Tony Flores got hit by a pitch and moved to third on a double by Eric Marion. Alfie Wheeler followed with an RBI single. Rosario drew a walk to load the bases and Cowan then drove in a pair of runs with a single.

HPU scored for the third consecutive inning as J. Williams and Schwartz tallied back-to-back singles to open the third. Flores layed down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners up a base. Wheeler drew a two-out walk to load the bases setting up Kuzdale for an RBI single making the score 6-0.

Elon finally got on the board in the fourth cutting their deficit to 6-3 on a bases loaded triple by Chris Dove. Jordy Snyder led off the fifth with a solo homer and Zach Booker posted a pinch hit RBI single to make the score 6-5.

A pair of runs in the sixth allowed the Phoenix to grab their first lead in the game at 7-6. Dove tallied a one-out homerun to tie the game and Drew Davis recorded a sacrifice fly for the game-leading score.

High Point answered with a run in the eighth to even the score at 7-7. Wheeler led off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. A walk by Rosario and single from Cowan packed the sacks for HPU. Bill Manion worked the count and then drew the game-tying walk.

Kuzdale greeted Elon reliever Chris Vasami (0-1) in the 10th with a leadoff double. Kuzdale advanced to third after a botched pickoff play and then scored as Rosario reached base on a throwing error by Vasami. The miscue, Elon's fourth of the game, allowed Rosario to move all the way to third. Cowan followed with a sacrifice fly giving High Point a two-run advantage.

The Phoenix had a chance to extend the game further after putting runners on second and third with just one out. However, HPU closer Tom Boleska (4-1) struck out the next two hitters to seal the victory.

Boleska earned the win after working four scoreless innings of relief allowing just three hits and striking out six. HPU starter Eammon Portice surrendered five runs on three hits while walking a season-high seven along with five strikeouts.

Kuzdale went 4-for-6 at the plate with two runs scored. Cowan, who started a catcher for the first time in his career, finished with four RBIs on a 3-for-4 performance. Schwartz finished 3-for-6 with a homer and Wheeler was 2-for-4 with two runs to help pace the HPU offense.

High Point will next play in the Big South Conference Championship Tournament in Rock Hill, S.C. The Panthers will not know their place in the tournament bracket until Sunday night following the completion of league play this weekend.