High Point pounded out 16 hits and scored eight of their nine runs in the first three innings to beat UNC Asheville 9-4 Sunday afternoon in game one of a doubleheader at Greenwood Field.

HPU (6-13, 2-6) got off to a quick start posting the game's first four runs of the game.  Alfie Wheeler drew a one-out walk, stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch.  Jeff Cowan worked back from a 0-2 count to draw a walk putting runners on the corner.  Bill Manion doubled to leftfield driving the pitch over the leftfielder's head bringing in Wheeler and allowing Cowan to move up to third.  After a strikeout, Max Fulginiti singled to leftfield which brought in Cowan and Manion for a 3-0 lead after one.  The Panthers tacked on another run in the second inning which began with another walk, this time to Sal Pezzino.  He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before a walk to Pablo Rosario put runners and first and second.  Wheeler laid down a perfect bunt for a single loading the bases.  Cowan hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, plating Pezzino for a 4-0 lead.

Asheville (4-20, 2-7) scored their first run of the game in the second inning which began with a single by Beau Zinman.  He advanced to second on groundout just out in front of home plate.  Another groundout got the second out of the inning, but Cody Buch singled to leftfield, bringing in Zinman.

High Point quickly responded to the UNCA run in the third inning putting four more runs on the board.  Back-to-back singles by Mahoney and Fulginiti started the inning.  After a popup to the shortstop, Pezzino doubled down the leftfield line which brought in Mahoney and put Fulginiti at third.  Another groundout recorded the second out of the inning before the Panthers plated three more runs with two outs.  Rosario doubled to rightfield plating Fulginiti and Pezzino.  Wheeler singled in Rosario for the final run of the inning, giving HPU an 8-1 lead after 2 ½ innings of play.

The Bulldogs got a run back in their half of the inning when Kevin Weidenbacher hit a solo homerun to centerfield.  It was his second homerun of the season and cut into the High Point lead, 8-2.

High Point threatened in the fourth inning when the first three hitters reached bases to begin the inning.  Unfortunately a fielder's choice forced out Mahoney at home plate and a double-play in the next at-bat thwarted the attempt to tack on to the lead. 

Neither team scored until the eighth inning when the Panthers added another run, giving them a 9-2 advantage.  After two quick outs were recorded, back-to-back-to-back singles by Mahoney, Fulginiti and Billy Alvino plated the insurance run.

Weidenbacher hit a one-out single to rightfield to begin a UNCA late-rally attempt in the eighth.  A double by Justin Schumer and a single by Zinman brought home the first run of the inning for the Bulldogs.  RJ Chlebnikow would strikeout he next batter on a 3-2 curveball to record the second out of the inning.  Danny Baatz singled to the shortstop, scoring the final of the contest.

Fulginiti led the offense racking up five hits and extended his hitting streaking to nine games.  During that span, he is hitting .472 (17-for36).  Alvino (two hits), Mahoney (three hits) and Wheeler (two hits) each had a multi-hit affair.  Mahoney (11-game), Cowan (eight-game) and Alvino (seven-game) also continued on with their hitting streaks.  Cowan now has 229 career hits, moving into second all-time on the HPU career list, 25 hits away from breaking the mark of 253 hits held by Randy Schwartz.  Chlebnikow worked 7.2 innings allowing four runs on nine hits and one walk.  He registered six strikeouts and picked up his first win as a starter, upping his record to 1-1 on the season.  Zach Scott worked the final 1.1 innings, surrendering just one hit.  He has yet to allow an earned run this season in 10.2 innings of work.

Weidenbacher paced the Bulldog offense picking up three hits and scoring two of the four runs.  Zinman was the only other UNCA player with more than one hit in the game, notching two.  Taylor Wohlwend suffered the losing tossing 3+ innings, giving up eight runs on 11 hits and issued four walks.  Dan Weller was solid in relief, working five innings of one-run ball.

The two squads were tied in the 11th inning of game two of Sunday's doubleheader before the contest was suspended due to darkness. Play will resume on Monday at a time to be determined followed by the third game of the Big South Conference series.