The High Point University baseball (3-3) team dropped a 7-2 non-conference contest to Appalachian State Wednesday night at Smith Stadium.

The Panthers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  Alfie Wheeler started the game off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a Jeff Cowan sacrifice bunt.  Billy Alvino had a two-out single moving Wheeler up to third.  Kyle Mahoney then doubled off the right-field wall bringing in Wheeler and Alvino for the lead.

Appalachian State (5-3) knotted the game up in the second inning when Ryan Arrowood hit a two-run homerun to left-center.  The inning began with David Towarnicky drawing a walk but starter Jamie Serber recorded the next two outs easily.  Arrowood drove a fastball over the left-centerfield wall to equal the score at two each.

After two scoreless frames for both sides, the Mountaineers would score five more runs in fifth, sixth and seventh innings.  Jeremy Dowdy singled up the box followed by a double by Wes Hobson putting both runners in scoring position.  Rand Smith hit a sacrifice fly to rightfield bringing in the go-ahead run and allowed Hobson to move up to third.  Issac Harrow closed out the scoring in the fifth singling to leftfield plating Hobson.  Chris Alessandria ignited the scoring in the sixth with a double down the leftfield line and scored on a triple by Jason Wallace.  Wallace would score on a Dowdy groundout.  Appalachian State would tack on another run in the seventh to finish the scoring in the contest on an Alessandria double.

The Panthers threatened in the seventh themselves but to no avail.  Pinch-hitter Hank Patterson singled to leftfield and moved up to third base after an Eric Marion single and Pablo Rosario walk.  With one out, Wheeler struck out looking and Cowan popped up to the shortstop ending the rally.

Jones suffered the loss giving up two runs in three innings of work, dropping his record to 0-2.  Alvino and Mahoney each picked up two hits apiece, while Mahoney had the only RBI.  Alvino also extended his hitting streak to 10-games and is the only Panther to hit safely in all six games this year.  Rosario picked up his team-leading fifth stolen base of the year.

Andrew Webster earned the win for the Mountaineers working a scoreless frame.  He improves to 3-0 on the season and has picked up the win in each of his appearances thus far in his collegiate career.  Harrow and Alessandria both had two hits.  Arrowood hit his second homerun of the season, both coming in his first two college at-bats.

High Point returns to the diamond tomorrow afternoon, when they host Duke at Coy O. Williard Sr. Stadium.  Duke comes in with a 6-1 record and is riding a six game winning streak after starting the year with a loss.  The two sides last met in 2006 with HPU coming out on top in both contests.  First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.