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The High Point University baseball team overcame a six-run deficit to tie the game 10-10 in the eighth but couldn't hold off a ninth-inning rally by Elon and fell to the Phoenix 13-10 Tuesday at Williard Stadium.

Two of Elon's three ninth-inning runs were unearned, scoring on three Panther errors. Sophomore Kyle Wigmore took the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season and Elon's Jared Kernodle allowed six runs in three innings of relief but got the win. Thomas Girdwood picked up his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

Wigmore took the mound in the seventh, inheriting two runners from Steven Schils, but got out of the jam without allowing a run. He pitched a scoreless eighth but didn't record an out in the ninth. Garrett Koster started the inning, reaching on an error by third baseman Sal Pezzino. A double off the bat of Harry Austin put runners on the corners with no outs and forced head coach Craig Cozart to go to the bullpen again. Freshman John Maloney took the mound. A balk, a wild pitch and a throwing error accounted for Elon's three runs.

Wigmore pitched two innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on one hit and a walk. He had one strikeout.

HPU had battled back from a 10-4 deficit to tie the game in the eighth. The Panthers plated five in the sixth to cut Elon's lead to 10-9. HPU played small ball, using a walk, five singles and two ground balls to push home the runs. Zach Tessier, Drew Geissinger, Murray White IV, Mike Mercurio and Sal Pezzino all had base hits in the inning.

White led off the eighth with a double to right center, eventually scoring the tying run on a ground out by Pezzino.

It was a nine-run fifth that gave Elon 10-4 lead in the game. The Phoenix capitalized on three walks, two hit batters and an error to score nine runs in the frame. HPU starter Ryan Retz loaded the bases before he was relieved by Al Yevoli. Yevoli allowed all three inherited runners to score without recording an out and was taken out of the game and replaced by Spencer Andrews. Yevoli gave up three runs of his own and Andrews gave up two more before HPU got out of the inning.

Retz went four innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits in his first start for the Panthers. He struck out four in the game. Retz also scored High Point's first run of the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.

White went 3-4 with three runs scored and Pezzino finished the night 2-5 with four RBI. Mike Gragilla had a 2-3 night at the plate and scored two runs.

The Panthers (0-5) will host Temple at Williard Stadium this weekend for a three-game series. Games on Friday and Saturday will begin at 4 p.m. and Sunday's game will start at 1 p.m.