Jeff Cowan singled in Alfie Wheeler in the top of the 10th inning to lift High Point University (8-17, 1-1 Big South) to a 7-6 win over the Coastal Carolina University baseball team (6-13, 1-1 Big South) March 18 in Conway, S.C. High Point evened the series at one game apiece.

High Point jumped out to a 3-0 lead, scoring once in the first and twice in the third. Singles by Chris Norwood and Mark Shorey put runners on first and second. Billy Aguiar then bounced to short, but a fielding error made everyone safe and plated Norwood. In the third, Cowan singled, moved to second on a Norwood walk and went to third on an error. With the bases loaded, a wild pitch from junior Kevin Marrie (Clarksville, Md./River Hill) scored Cowan and put runners on second and third. Aguiar flew out to center, scoring Norwood and giving High Point a 3-0 lead.

Coastal would tie the game in the bottom of the third on one swing. Junior Adam Vrable (Bay City, MIch./Grand Rapids C.C.) doubled to start the frame. Junior Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) then was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt from junior Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) moved the runners up a base and junior Brant Peacher (Milton, Fla./Florida State) cleared them with a home run to left field. It was his third home run of the season.

High Point would retake the lead in the fourth, scoring two runs on three hits. Randy Schwartz singled to open the inning. He moved to third on a throwing error from Marrie. Cowan brought Schwartz in on a groundout and Mark Shorey scored Wheeler with a single to right field.

In the fifth, Coastal scored an unearned run. Peacher started the inning by reaching on an error. He moved to second on a single from junior John Mariotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.). Senior Aaron Verrett (Jupiter, Fla./Polk C.C.) sacrificed the runners over. Reliever David Parker then walked junior Matt Sutton (La Grange, N.C./UNC Wilmington) and junior Josh Eachues (Newberry, S.C./Newberry) to score Peacher.

High Point would get that run back in the sixth. Singles by Cowan and Norwood were followed by a sacrifice fly from Shorey. Coastal scored a run in the bottom of the sixth as a double from Peacher scored Duggan. Coastal had the bases loaded with one out, but Parker induced a pop out and a strikeout to end the threat.

Coastal would tie the game at six on Peacher’s second home run of the game, also to left field.

Coastal had a threat in the ninth with runners on the corners and two out. Freshman David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) hit a bullet to left, but it was hauled in by Matt Gantner to send the game to extra innings.

Coastal got the first two Panthers out in the 10th, but a double by Wheeler led to the RBI single to left center from Cowan.

Peacher was 3-for-6 with five RBI and three runs scored. It was the second time this season a Coastal player has hit two home runs in a game. Sutton did the trick against George Mason Feb. 19. Eachues and Verrett had two hits apiece, while Duggan scored two runs. For High Point, Cowan and Shorey had three hits and two RBI apiece.

The loss was tagged to senior Kevin Salmon (Brentwood, N.Y./Briarcliffe C.C.) who gave up a run and two hits in 1.2 innings. Marrie went the first 3.2 innings, giving up six hits and two earned runs while striking out a pair. Glenn Jones earned the win in relief for HPU while Shorey earned his first save. Starter Matt Christie struck out five in 4.1 innings.

Coastal and High Point will finish the series Sunday, March 19 at 1 p.m.

NOTES: Coastal is now 1-1 in extra-inning games... Coastal had won eight straight against the Panthers before today’s loss... Peacher now has a 12-game hitting streak... Freshman Bobby Gagg (Wallkill, N.J./Hamburg) struck out three in 4.2 innings of relief.