LEXINGTON, Va.- High Point grabbed a 5-0 lead in the second inning and never let VMI back in it, as the Panthers claimed a 5-1 series-opening win on Friday afternoon in Big South Conference action from Erath Field.

HPU (16-20, 7-3 Big South) claimed their eighth win in nine outings, as sophomore starter Eammon Portice (4-4) took the victory, allowing only four hits and one run in 6.2 innings, striking out nine Keydets. VMI (20-11, 2-5 Big South) dropped their fifth straight contest, with starter Travis Smink taking the loss, allowing five runs on nine hits in his five innings.

The Panthers were led at the plate by Randy Schwartz hitting out of the six-hole, who went 3-for-3 with a double, while the top four hitters in the HPU lineup combined for seven hits and three of the team's four RBI.

No Keydet had multiple hits on the day, though B.T. Good reached base three times by being hit with a pair of pitches, along with his seventh-inning single.

HPU grabbed an early 1-0 lead, as Chris Norwood came around to score on Chris Marks' single to left field. In the second inning, Schwartz led off the inning with a single to leftfield, before stealing second base. A walk and a hit batsman loaded the bases, as Jeff Cowan came to the plate. He hit a groundball to the left-side of the infield that brought home one run, while a throwing error on the shortstop brought in another. A groundout by Chris Norwood and a double by Mark Shorey brought home the next two runs, as the hosts went to the third inning up 5-0.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Keydets put together a rally, as a leadoff walk issued to Robert Crumpler was followed by a one-out single by Mike Roberts and B.T. Good being hit for the second time on the day. However, a popout to second base and a flyout to centerfield would kill the rally, as VMI couldn't capitalize on a bases-loaded situation with one out.

That was the only noise VMI made until the seventh inning, when Good scored on a double play hit into by A.J. Yoder for the Keydets' only run.

Reliever Corey Bachman pitched 2.1 solid innings in relief of Smink, allowing only two hits and two walks while striking out one.

The Keydets and Panthers return to action Saturday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled at 1 p.m.