High Point rallied in the eighth force extra innings before dropping a heartbreaking 3-2 decision against UNC Asheville in their opening round game of the Royal Purple Big South Conference Baseball Championship on Tuesday night at Dan Daniel Memorial Park.

HPU ends the season at 20-33 after playing their fifth extra-inning contest in their last 13 games. UNC Asheville improves to 24-33 and advances to face top-seeded Coastal Carolina at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. This marks the third consecutive season that the Bulldogs have eliminated the Panthers in the Big South Tournament. High Point has won 11 of the last 12 regular season meetings between the two squads but is 0-3 in the postseason against UNCA.

"Alan DeRatt pitched a great game," said HPU head coach Sal Bando, Jr. "I tip my cap off to Asheville because they did the little things a little better and that was the difference in the game. We didn't lose because of a lack of effort and I'm proud of our guys."

DeRatt, a likely candidate for Big South Pitcher of the Year, allowed 10 hits but just two runs in 10 innings of work with five strikeouts. He moved to 8-2 on the season after hurling his league-leading third complete game.

High Point also got solid pitching as starter Jamie Serber surrendered just two runs on five hits in 6.1 innings. Bubba O'Donnell (4-4) took the loss despite allowing just one run on two hits in 3.1 innings of relief with four strikeouts.

Asheville took advantage of a High Point fielding miscue in the third inning to grab an early 1-0 advantage. Beau Zinman drew a leadoff walk followed by a single through the left side by Mike Vaughn, which was misplayed by Panther leftfielder Max Fulginiti allowing Zinman to race around to score. A sacrifice bunt moved Vaughn to third, but Serber halted the scoring threat by retiring the next two batters he faced.

The Bulldogs manufactured another run in the fourth taking a 2-0 lead. Justin Schumer walked to open the frame and moved to second on a single by Elliott Arrington. Reed Kreiser sacrificed both runners up a base with a bunt and Danny Baatz followed with a sacrifice fly plating Schumer.

After stranding a pair of runners in both the third and fourth innings, High Point was able to push a run across the plate in the fifth to cut their deficit to 2-1. With one out, Alfie Wheeler and Jeff Cowan tallied back-to-back singles. A fielder's choice grounder by Pablo Rosario put runners on the corners for Randy Schwartz, who laced an RBI single to right.

In the top of the seventh, Asheville had runners on second and third with one out but HPU relievers RJ Chlebnikow and O'Donnell worked out of the jam by recording an out each to keep the Bulldogs off the board.

High Point scored a run in the eighth to knot the score at 2-2. Rosario led things off with a walk and came around to score when Schwartz' single to left center was bobbled by UNCA centerfielder Kevin Mattison.

Asheville retook the lead 3-2 with a run in the top of the 10th. A walk for Catlin Carter and a single by Mattison put runners on the corners with nobody out. A drawn in HPU infield was able to erase a runner at the plate on a hard grounder by Kevin Weidenbacher and then a strikeout by Schumer had two out for the Bulldogs. However, Arrington delivered the game winning RBI single to center to secure the win.

The Panthers refused to go quietly in the bottom of the frame getting a pair of runners on base before DeRatt recorded the final two outs for the complete game victory.
 
Cowan led all players at the plate going 3-for-5 while Schwartz added two hits and an RBI in his final game for the Panthers. Arrington and Mike Vaughn each finished with two hits to pace the Bulldog offense.

Tournament action at the Big South Conference Championship continues on Wednesday from Dan Daniel Park with Coastal Carolina facing Asheville at 11 a.m., followed by #2 seed Liberty playing #6 seed Radford at 3 p.m. and #3 seed VMI battling #4 seed Winthrop in the nightcap at 7 p.m.