After waiting a whole day and two extra hours because of heavy rains in the Charlotte area, the High Point baseball team opened their weather-shortened series against the Charlotte 49ers with a disappointing 8-1 loss on Saturday afternoon at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium.

The 49ers benefitted from three home runs in gusty winds in improving to 9-1 overall on the season. High Point slipped to 3-8 with the loss. The two teams had their scheduled series opener on Friday washed out and started Saturday's game two hours late to allow wet playing conditions to dry out.

With the game scoreless heading to bottom of the fifth, second baseman Corey Shaylor hit the first pitch of the inning over the left center field fence to put Charlotte up 1-0. After a Ross Steedley double, first baseman Alex Burt hit a 2-2 offering down the line and clear of the fence to extend the 49ers lead to 3-0.

Shaylor doubled with designated hitter Chris Taylor on base in the sixth to drive in his second run of the day and push the lead to 4-0 in favor of Charlotte.

In the seventh, Charlotte added some insurance runs. Burt hit a leadoff single up the middle and third baseman Aaron Bray dropped a line drive into right field to put two on. After a groundout, center fielder Brad McElroy drove a 1-1 pitch over the opposite field wall making it a 7-0 contest.

In the top of the eighth, pinch hitter Chris Norwood deposited the first pitch he saw from reliever Luke Stahl over the left field fence to keep the Panthers to end the Charlotte shutout bid.

Bray drove in pinch hitter Mike Perkins from third in the eighth to put the final score on the board.

Charlotte starting pitcher Zach Rosenbaum lasted seven innings, scattering four hits and three walks in that span without allowing a run on the day. He struck out four and gathered his second win of the season in three starts (2-0).  After Stahl's inning of relief, redshirt freshman Justin Duncan made his collegiate debut, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning of relief.

HPU starter Ryan Basham dropped to 0-3 after the loss. He allowed four runs in six innings, giving up eight hits but no walks. He fanned six.

The two teams finish the two-game series Sunday at 12 noon.