High Point dropped the series finale of a non-conference match-up with East Tennessee State 16-10 Sunday afternoon at Cardinal Park.

High Point (17-23) came out swinging in the first scoring six runs and nine runs through the first three innings.  Jeff Cowan was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and stole second base.  Alfie Wheeler laid down a great bunt for a bunt single putting runners on the corners.  Bill Manion sacrificed Wheeler to second.  Billy Alvino was then intentionally walked loading the bases for Kyle Mahoney who ripped a double down the rightfield line scoring  two runners and placing Alvino and himself in scoring position.  Max Fulginiti grounded out to second base plating Alvino for the second out of the inning.  Drew Geissinger singled in Mahoney and moved up to third on a single b Eric Marion.  Pablo Rosario doubled in both runners to cap off the scoring in the first.

East Tennessee State (23-19) respond back scoring the next nine runs of the contest.  Two straight hits started the bottom half of the first inning for the Buccaneers followed by a pop out.  Paul Hoilman singled in the first run before Derrick Trent hit a three-run homerun to cut the HPU lead to 6-4 after an inning.

The first three batters reached safely to begin the second and Hoilman singled through the left side plating Jacob Fabry.  Trent forced in a run by drawing a four pitch walk.  Troy Mendez was forced out at home keeping the bases loaded.  Cory Betterson poked a single through the right side on a 2-2 count allowing two more runners to score and putting runners on first and third.  A safety squeeze scored Danny Petro before a double-play ended the inning.

The Panthers tied the game up in the third with a three spot on the board.  Fulginiti and Geissinger started it off with back-to-back doubles, the latter a run producing one.  After a wild pitch advanced Geissinger up to third, he scored on a groundout cutting the deficit to 9-8.  Rosario was hit by a pitch and Cowan followed that up with a double to right-centerfield putting runners in scoring position.  The hit for Cowan also broke the school record of 255 career hits held previously by Randy Schwartz.  Wheeler brought in Rosario on a groundout to the shortstop, knotting the game.

ETSU took the lead for good in the fourth inning aided by a fielding error.  After a leadoff walk to Hoilman, flew out to rightfield.  A possible line-drive double play ball went off the glove of a Panther putting runners on first and second.  A chopper over the head of the third baseman on a full-count scored Hoilman and placed the runners in scoring position.  Chris Rankhorn singled to leftfield plating both runs.  Two more doubles in the inning brought in the final three runs of the inning to give the hosts a 15-9 advantage after five.

Rosario began the six with taking a 1-1 pitch deep over the rightfield wall for his second homerun of the inning.  Cowan laced a single through the right side followed by a double to right-centerfield, advancing Cowan to third with no outs.  A strikeout, fly out and foul out followed to end the inning without any more runs scoring.

The Bucs finished the scoring in the contest scoring a solo run in the seventh frame.  Singles from the first two batters put runners on first and second.  After a fly out was recorded for the first out, a dropped fly ball allowed Hoilman to score before a strikeout closed out the inning.

Fulginiti, Geissinger and Wheeler had three hits each while Cowan and Rosario had a pair of hits apiece.  Fulginiti extended his hitting streak to 30 games, three shy of breaking the Big South Conference record.  Manion upped his hitting streak to 11-games with a single in the second inning.  Wheeler moved into fifth place on the all-time hit list at High Point with 218, two behind Alvino's 220.  John Cavanaugh ranks third with 228 career hits.  Corey Swickle suffered the loss in relief allowing six runs (three earned) in 2.2 innings.  The final four runs of the contest that ETSU scored were unearned.

High Point returns to the diamond on Tuesday, April 28 when it travels to Blacksburg, Va. to take on Virginia Tech in a non-conference match-up.  First pitch is set for a 5:30 p.m.