HIGH POINT, N.C. (Interstat) — The High Point Panthers capitalized on a series of Saint Joseph’s miscues to turn a tight contest into a rout, winning their season opener 15-7 over the Hawks on Friday afternoon at George S. Erath Field at Coy O. Williard Baseball Stadium.

In a game defined by a decisive third inning and a sloppy sixth, the Panthers overcame an early three-run deficit and later broke open a tie game by scoring eight unanswered runs, seven of which were unearned.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the third inning. After a leadoff triple by Ponce, SeoJun Oh drove him in with a sacrifice fly to cut the Saint Joseph’s lead to 7-4. What followed was a crushing offensive outburst. Following a walk and a hit-by-pitch, Oh connected for his second three-run homer of the game, a blast to center field that tied the score at 7. The Panthers continued to pressure Hawks starter Duke McCarron, adding two more singles before McCarron was relieved by Coppola. The five-run inning completely shifted momentum, erasing the Hawks’ early advantage and setting the stage for High Point’s late-game surge.

The game remained tied until the top of the sixth, when Saint Joseph’s scored four unearned runs, all with two outs, to take a 7-7 lead. The rally was sparked by a two-run, unearned homer from Pagano and capped by a three-run double from Venezia.

High Point responded immediately and decisively in the bottom half of the frame, exploiting Saint Joseph’s defensive failures. Frank Kelly led off with a bunt single, stole second, and scored the go-ahead run on a fielding error by the Hawks’ third baseman. Later in the inning, with two men on, Jake McCarter delivered a key two-run double to right center, extending the lead to 10-7. All three runs in the inning were unearned.

The Panthers put the game out of reach with a five-run seventh inning, again benefiting from poor Saint Joseph’s defense. Another error on a bunt play allowed one run to score, and Ponce followed with a two-run single. A wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from Lane Allen plated the final two runs, making it 15-7.

Oh was the offensive catalyst for High Point, finishing the afternoon with two home runs and seven RBIs. McCarter added two RBIs on a critical double, while Allen drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. The Panthers’ pitchers, after a rocky start, combined to limit the Hawks to just seven hits. Tyler Shafer and Wade Walton were key in relief.

Saint Joseph’s, which grounded into two double plays and committed multiple costly errors, was led by Venezia’s three-RBI double. The Hawks used four pitchers in the loss.

With the victory, High Point begins its season 1-0. Saint Joseph’s starts 0-1. The two teams are scheduled for a doubleheader on Saturday. Saint Joseph’s will then travel to face Sacramento State for a four-game series beginning Feb. 19. High Point will visit Wake Forest on Feb. 17 before hosting Maine for a four-game set starting Feb. 20.