High Point rallied from a 4-0 deficit with five runs in the top of the 7th inning, but Wake Forest scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the 9th to steal a 6-5 win Sunday at Hooks Field in the first of three games in four days between the teams.

The Panthers drop to 3-7, while the Demon Deacons improve to 3-3. All six Wake Forest runs were unearned.

Wake Forest scored two runs in the 3rd inning and single runs in the 4th and 5th to claim a 4-0 lead, but the Panthers would come back in a big way.

Trailing 4-0, High Point concocted a two-out rally for five runs in the seventh. Corey Stang led off the inning with a lead-off walk, and advanced to second on a one-out single by Josh Doane. Both runners advanced on a groundout by Matt Keever before Stang scored and Doane ended up at third on a wild pitch by Wake reliever Sean Souders, who then walked Matt Calcagni and was replaced on the mound by Josh Ellis.

An RBI single to right by Rey Rojas scored Doane and cut the Wake lead to 4-2 before Chris Ramirez crushed a three-run shot to right to propel HPU to a 5-4 advantage.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the ninth, when Matt Antonelli's bunt single off Travis Motsinger set the stage for the dramatic finish. Antonelli stole second after Matt Christie (0-2) relieved Motsinger, and J.B. Tucker drew a walk to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Brad Scioletti then bunted a ball to Christie, whose throw to first base sailed high and into the High Point bullpen. Antonelli scored from second base and Tucker scored from first for the game-winner.

The loss spoiled a pair of solid pitching performances by HPU starter Matt Kniginyzky, who allowed four runs -- all unearned -- and struck out three in five innings, and Motsinger, who yielded two hits and an unearned run in three innings of work.

Charlie Mellies earned the win in relief for the Deacs, who took advantage of five Panther errors in the victory and outhit HPU by a 9-7 count.

Doane and Keever each had two hits for the Panthers, who lost a game in the 9th for the third time in 10 days.

The teams will play Monday and Wednesday in Winston-Salem. Both games start at 2:30 pm. Click here for live stats.

The Panthers and Demon Deacons were originally scheduled to host Xavier and Cincinnati, respectively, this weekend before heavy snow prevented the Musketeers and Bearcats from reaching the Piedmont Triad.