The High Point University baseball team dropped a hard-fought 5-4 decision to USC Upstate on Wednesday night at Harley Park.

The game was the first of nine consecutive road games for the Panthers (8-19), who saw their four game win streak come to an end. The Spartans improve to 16-14 with the come-from-behind win.

HPU finished with seven hits on the night including two apiece from Matt Gantner and Randy Schwartz. Schwartz drove in a pair of runs while Gantner scored twice. Upstate tallied 10 hits in the game as five players each recorded two hits.

Mikel Rodenberg allowed just three runs (one earned) on eight hits in 5.2 innings of work as the HPU starter. Jeremy Berg (1-2) suffered the loss after giving up two runs in 2.1 innings of relief.

High Point plated a run in the top of the second inning to grab an early 1-0 lead. Gantner led off the frame with a double and moved to third on a deep flyout by Schwartz. Max Fulginiti drove Gantner in with a sharp hit groundout to first base.

The Spartans scored a run in the bottom of the second to knot the score at one. Upstate tallied three consecutive hits capped by an RBI infield single by Mike Colecchi. USCU took their first lead at 2-1 after adding an unearned run in the third inning.

The Panthers regained the lead, 4-2, with three runs in the sixth inning. Billy Alvino doubled to open the inning and Gantner followed with an RBI double scoring Alvino. Schwartz then stepped to the plate and belted a two-run homer over the leftfield wall. It was his team-leading fifth homerun of the season.

USC Upstate trimmed the HPU lead to one after scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out RBI single from Reed Lishen. The Panthers avoided further damage when Berg came on in relief with two runners on and induced a fly out from the first Spartan batter he faced.

High Point wasn't as fortunate in the eighth inning, as Upstate rallied for a pair of runs to regain the lead at 5-4. Lishen again provided the key hit for the Spartans slapping a two-run single through the right side.

Upstate reliever Dennis McCraney (1-3) worked 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory with Tyler Oliver getting the final two outs in securing his second save of the year.

The Panthers continue their current road swing with a three-game series at Charleston Southern this weekend. HPU and CSU are scheduled to meet on Friday at 2 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11 a.m.