High Point banged out a season high 23 hits and scored 15 runs but it still was not enough as East Tennessee State took game two of the series 17-15 Saturday afternoon at Cardinal Park.

East Tennessee State (22-19) struck in the first after their first two batters were retired easily.  A pop fly by Troy Mendez to leftfield was pushed away from a charging Pablo Rosario by the wind and dropped in for a double.  Paul Hoilman hit a looping line drive to rigthfield just out of the reach of a diving Murray White, again resulting in a run scoring double.  Derek Trent singled up the middle plating Hoilman for a 2-0 Bucs lead after one inning.

High Point (17-22) responded in the third inning to take the lead scoring three runs.  With one down, Jeff Cowan was hit by a pitch followed by a double to rightfield off the bat of Alfie Wheeler.  Bill Manion laced a single up the middle scoring both runners for a 2-2 tie.  Billy Alvino was hit by a pitch on a one-one count, putting runners at first and second.  Kyle Mahoney ripped another single up the middle scoring Manion to give the Panthers a 3-2 lead.  Max Fulginiti grounded into a double play in the next at-bat to end the inning.

The Buccaneers responded right back in the next two innings posting a pair of runs in each.  Mendez hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the third.  Matthew Scruggs hit a solo homerun to start off the fourth inning and Jacob Fabry hit an RBI single in the fourth inning.

HPU had a golden opportunity in the fifth inning to creep back in the contest.  Wheeler and Manion singled to leftfield followed by an Alvino walk to load the bases with just one out.  Mahoney hit a chopper to the third baseman who started a 5-4-3 double play thwarting the scoring opportunity.

ETSU exploded for six in the bottom of the fifth inning to go ahead 12-3.  Hoilman started the inning with a homerun right-centerfield.  Trent then walked and scored on a double by Ben Allen.  After a fly out, Scruggs hit a ball up the hill in rightfield giving him a triple.  A fielding error by the HPU third baseman allowed Scruggs to cross home on the plate.  Fabry walked and was picked off by Alvino at first base for the second out of the inning.  Back-to-back doubles scored two more runs before a groundout ended the inning.

Fulginiti began the top of the sixth inning by extending his hitting streak to 29-games with a homerun off the foul pole down the rightfield line.  It was the first run of 12 that the Panthers would score over the final four innings of the contest.  After two groundouts, Pablo Rosario was hit by a pitch.  Cowan singled up the middle putting runners on first and second.  Wheeler singled up the middle plating Rosario and again putting runners on first and second.  Manion loaded the bases with his fourth single of the game.  A spectacular diving play robbed Alvino of a hit for the third out of the inning.

Danny Petro and Scruggs both drove in a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to increase the ETSU lead back up to nine, 14-5 after six full innings of play.

High Point would score the next eight runs of the game started with Fulginiti's second homerun of the game, a two-run shot to rightfield in the seventh.  Six runs crossed the plate in the eighth inning, after the first two batters of the inning were retired.  Manion started a streak of eight straight hits for the Panthers with a single to right-centerfield.  Alvino hit a double off the top of the 20-foot high fence in leftfield scoring Manion.  Mahoney hit the first of six consecutive singles that brought in Alvino making it a 14-9 ballgame.  Drew Geissinger, Eric Marion, Rosario and Cowan all drove in at least one run with their single in the inning.  Cowan's single capped off the scoring making it at 14-13 ETSU lead heading into the bottom of the eighth and also tie the school's all-time hits record off 255.

Scruggs was hit by a pitch on a 3-0 count to lead off the Bucs half of the inning.  He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Fabry double down the leftfield line.  After a walk, fielder's choice and walk loaded the bases, Trent doubled to rightfield bringing the final two runs that the Bucs would score in the contest, making it a 17-13 game heading into the ninth inning.

Manion ripped another ball that scooted under the glove of the shortstop's glove followed by Alvino singling up the middle and Mahoney reaching on another error loading the bases with no outs.  Fulginiti hit a line drive to rightfield which took a great catch to record the out, but Manion came across to score.  Pinch-hitter Rob Gilles went down swinging for the second out, but Marion singled up the middle plating Alvino.  Rosario struck out to end the contest.

Leading the offense was Manion's 5-for-6 performance, who drove in two and scored three times as well.  His hitting streak was also extended to 10 games.  Six other players picked up multiple hits on the afternoon, while Fulginiti drove in a game-high four runs.  Corey Swickle saw his streak of 12 consecutive scoreless innings come to an end, giving up a pair of runs in relief.  Jamie Serber suffered the loss dropping his record to 4-3 on the season.  Alvino took sole possession of third place on the HPU all-time doubles record with 47.

ETSU had seven players pick up multiple hits on the afternoon as well led by Mendez, Hoilman and Scruggs with three hits and a homerun each.  Josh Gonzaga picked up the win improving to 3-2 on the year working 5.2 innings.

The two sides will conclude the series tomorrow afternoon, April 26 at Cardinal Park.  First pitch is set for a 1:00 p.m.