The High Point University baseball team scored early against Charlotte but struggled late as the 49ers rallied for a 5-2 victory on Sunday at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium.

The Panthers slide to 3-9 this season after dropping the series finale against their in-state foes. Charlotte improved to 10-1 this year winning their eighth straight home contest.

Each team scored a run in the first inning. High Point got on the board first after Jeff Cowan singled and stole second. On the steal, he injured his shoulder and had to come out for Murray White, IV. White came around to score after a pair of groundouts, the RBI coming from catcher Billy Alvino.

Charlotte answered after three walks and a single. Shayne Moody drove in Cory Tilton from third with a sacrifice fly to right field to even the score.

In the second, left fielder Pablo Rosario walked, stole second and third and scored when White doubled to left field, again giving the Panthers a one-run lead. Charlotte answered to tie again with an unearned run after center fielder Brad McElroy walked and scored on an error by Randy Schwartz.

Charlotte second baseman Corey Shaylor was hit in the helmet by a pitch to lead off the fourth, then Rob Lyerly sent a pitch by Mikel Rodenberg over the right field wall to break the tie and put Charlotte up for good.

Rodenberg, who came in to relieve starter Matt Schlanger, took the loss (0-1). He allowed three runs, two earned, in two innings. He gave up two walks and just one hit, the Lyerly home run.

Lyerly added an RBI on a ground out in the fifth to score Moody and give Charlotte the 5-2 margin.

Charlotte starter B.J. Hagen gave up the two early runs on six hits and two walks. In two innings, he struck out one batter.  Andrew Smith came out of the bullpen to get his second win this week (2-0) in relief. Smith lasted five innings, shutting out the Panthers over that span on two hits and a walk, striking out a pair. Bryan Hamilton came in to pitch a scoreless ninth, allowing a hit and striking out a batter for his second save of the season.

Schwartz and Tucker Stobbe each recorded two hits in pacing the Panthers at the plate on Sunday. Sean Murphy scattered four hits over four innings of solid relief work for HPU on the mound.

High Point returns home for their first night game of the season at Coy O. Williard Sr Stadium on Tuesday as the Panthers host ACC opponent Wake Forest at 7 p.m.