The High Point University baseball team suffered a disappointing 6-5 extra-inning loss to Wake Forest on Wednesday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.

The Panthers (7-9) held leads of 2-0 and 5-4 during the game against the Demon Deacons (9-4). The loss snapped a two game win streak for HPU.

High Point broke a scoreless tie with two runs off Alex Wiesner in the third inning. The Panthers led off the inning with back-to-back singles by Robby Kuzdale and Jeff Cowan. HPU scored the runners on an RBI groundout from Bill Manion and a Billy Alvino double to center.

Wake Forest cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the third. Austin Jones tripled down the left field line to drive home Brett Linnenkohl.

The Deacs took their first lead with three runs the following inning. Nathan Frazier drove home Dustin Hood on a sacrifice fly, and Jones brought in two with a single through the right side.

The margin was short-lived, though, as the Panthers rallied to re-take the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth. High Point had three hits in the inning and took advantage of a hit-batsman and a Wake fielding error to score the runs off Wiesner. Manion led things off with a double. Alvino reached after being hit by a pitch followed by a bunt single by Anthony Bell to load the bases. Randy Schwartz swatted an RBI single and Pablo Rosario pushed in a run on a fielder's choice that included a fielding error by the Wake second baseman. Alfie Wheeler ground into a double-play forcing home the final run.

The Demon Deacons got the tying run in the bottom of the frame when Hood's sacrifice fly to left scored Willy Fox, who led off the inning with a single and then advanced to third on an errant pickoff attempt.

The Wake Forest bullpen held High Point to just one hit over the final five innings to give the Deacon offense a chance late. Phil Negus, Josh Ellis and Ben Hunter combined to hold the Panthers scoreless in relief.

The Panther pitching trio of RJ Chlebnikow, Chad Jennings and Mike Grosso also did their jobs keeping the Wake Forest offense quiet for 2.1 innings of relief work with the score tied. HPU starter Brandon Moore pitched four innings allowing seven hits and four runs with three strikeouts earning a no-decision.
 
Hunter (2-2) earned the victory after getting himself out of a jam in the top of the 10th. High Point put runners on second and third with one out, but Hunter got a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat.

Evan Ocheltree tripled to lead off the bottom of the 10th, sliding headfirst into the bag just ahead of the relay throw and tag. High Point reliever Tom Boleska (1-1) then unleashed an unfortunate wild pitch to the next batter allowing the winning run to score.

High Point tallied 12 hits on the day with Cowan, Schwartz and Wheeler each recording a pair. Junior Chris Norwood extended his current team leading hit streak to nine games with his double in the first inning.

HPU returns to the diamond on Friday at 2:30 p.m., when the Panthers open a three-game weekend set against East Tennessee State at Coy O Williard, Sr. Stadium.