The High Point baseball team took an early 2-0 lead but was unable to hang on as they suffered an 8-2 loss to NC State Tuesday afternoon at Doak Field at Dail Park.

The starting pitchers for both sides came out strong to start the ball game as HPU starter Mike Caldwell and NC State starter Zak Sinclair both opened the game tossing three scoreless innings.  All 10 runs in the game would be scored in the next three frames. 

High Point (2-2) opened the scoring up in the top of the fourth when Bill Manion scorched a triple in the right-center gap.  Billy Alvino was then hit by a pitch before Kyle Mahoney singled in Manion for the game's first run.  Max Fulginiti laced a ball which the first baseman was unable to handle advancing all of the runners, but a baserunning mistake kept the bases from being loaded when Mahoney was tug out by the third baseman.  Rob Gilles flied out to deep centerfield but picked up the RBI with Alvino crossing the plate.

NC State (2-2) quickly responded scoring five runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning.  Drew Poulk led off with a double down the leftfield line and advanced to third on a groundout.  He later scored when Harold Riggins singled through the left-side.  Two more singles followed to load up the bases for Drew Martin, who also singled in two more for the home team.  A groundout advanced Martin and Pat Ferguson to second and third base.  Another single brought in the duo to cap off the scoring, giving the Wolfpack at 5-2 lead.

In the fifth, Pratt Maynard hit a one-out single up the middle.  The catcher advanced to second on a wild pitch and took third when the throw down sailed into centerfield.  A Riggin's sacrifice fly to right field brought in Maynard for a 6-2 lead for the home team.

A Wolfpack error to start the sixth inning got a rally started for HPU.  Mahoney reached on a throwing error by Maynard and Gilles followed with a single through the right side.  It was his first collegiate hit as well.  Eric Marion took a 3-1 pitch to the right field warning track, but Drew Poulk was able to track it down.  A walk to Pablo Rosario set the table for Alfie Wheeler, who grounded out to second end the High Point threat.

Reliever Masaki Muroya got off to a shaky start for HPU issuing a walk, hitting a batter and having a fielding error to start off the inning.  A fielder's choice by Kyle Wilson brought in the runner at third and set-up runners at first and third.  Muroya got Dallas Poulk to pop up to the catcher and got Drew Poulk to groundout to third base, but Marion was unable to handle the tough hop allowing the final run of the game to be scored.

Manion was the only Panther player to register a multi-hit game and had recorded a hit in every game this season.  Alvino's single in the first inning extended his hitting streak to eight games.  Caldwell suffered the loss and moves to 1-1 on the season, picking up the win in the season opener.  Zach and Wally Scott both made their first appearances on the season, tossing a scoreless inning apiece.

Martin, Riggins and Wilson picked up two, two and three RBI, respectively for the Wolfpack.  Jake Kensmoe picked up the win in relief of starter Zak Sinclair. 

High Point returns to the field this weekend when they host Temple in a three-game series starting Friday afternoon.  First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.  Saturday's game will be the first of a triple-header in HPU athletics as game time is set for 12:00 p.m.  The women's basketball team will play at 4:00 p.m. and the men's team will conclude the day's affairs at 7:00 p.m.