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Junior Cody Allen pitched seven shutout innings to lead the High Point University baseball team to its first win of the 2011 season, a 7-2 victory over Temple Friday at Williard Stadium. Allen allowed just three hits while striking out 10.

“Tonight was the first time this season we put together a complete baseball game,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “Cody set the tone for us on the mound but we also had a great offensive approach, showed toughness at the plate and fielded the ball cleanly. I am very happy to get this first win.”

The Panthers improve to 1-5 and Temple picks up its first loss of the season, dropping to 3-1. The teams will meet again Saturday at 4 p.m.

In his second outing as a Panther, Allen put up seven scoreless innings, scattering three hits and one walk while striking out 10 Temple batters. He retired 13 in a row from the last of the third until the seventh inning.

“I just felt good out there,” Allen said. “I was really locked in tonight. Kyle Mahoney did a great job behind the plate and we were able to keep the pressure on Temple and keep them off base.”

The Panthers put two runs on the board in the first inning and have now scored in the first inning of all six games this season. Mike Mercurio led off the game with a single to right field and Sal Pezzino reached base after getting hit by a pitch from Temple starter Ben White. A balk advanced both runners and Ryan Retz picked up an RBI with a groundout to the shortstop. Scott Glover also had an RBI single in the first to give HPU a 2-0 lead.

In the second inning Mercurio singled up the middle to bring home Mike Gragilla who led off the inning with a base hit. The Panthers added three more in the fourth with Retz picking up his second RBI of the night on a groundout to the shortstop to score Mercurio. With two outs Steve Antolik hit a fly ball to center field that went off Jabair Khan's glove. The error put Antolik at third and scored Pezzino. Antolik would score on a single off the bat of Mahoney.

In the top of the seventh, Allen's final inning on the mound he quickly got the first two outs, including a strikeout of Ryan Ferguson, his 10th of the night. Steve Nikorak singled to center field with two outs to bring up Jabair Khan. Khan's hard hit ball to left center looked like extra bases but Retz made a diving catch to end the inning and keep Temple off the board.

Freshman John Maloney took the mound in the eighth, allowing one run on a sacrifice fly by Byron McKoy. Maloney came back out for the ninth getting the first Temple batter, Adrian Perez to strike out swinging. However, a hit batter and a walk put two runners on for Cameron Green who singled up the middle to make it a 7-2 game. After the single Cozart went to the bullpen and brought in senior Mikel Rodenberg who struck out pinch hitter Daniel Dragos on three pitches to end the game.

Maloney allowed two runs in 1-2/3 innings while striking out three.

Mercurio finished the night 4-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and Glover went 3-5 with an RBI.

High Point will send sophomore Jared Avidon to the mound on Saturday and Temple will send out junior right hander Brant Norlander. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.