High Point scored eight runs over the final three innings en route to a 12-8 victory over Wake Forest on Wednesday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.

The Panthers raised their season record to 12-20 after earning their third consecutive win and eighth in their last 10 games. The loss was the Demon Deacons seventh consecutive loss dropping their season mark to 12-19. The two teams split the 2008 season series at a game apiece, with each team winning on the road.

"I'm just very proud of our crew," said HPU head coach Sal Bando, Jr. "They show a lot of fight, they show a lot of heart, they show a lot of character. We were in a really dark place, but we are in a really good place right now. We are riding the wave and I'm extremely proud of them."

High Point reliever R.J. Chlebnikow (1-0) picked up the win. The lefty stymied the Deacs over 3 2/3 innings, holding them hitless during the stretch. He struck out two and walked two. Chlebnikow has had the Deacons' number over his three-year career. In four appearances, he has allowed just a combined three runs on six hits in 10 1/3 innings pitched. Last season, he shut down the Wake Forest bats over five innings in an 8-7 Panther victory in High Point.

Today, Chlebnikow came on with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth and Wake Forest holding a 5-4 advantage. He got the Panthers out of the jam with just one inherited runner coming across. He did not allow a Deacon to get into scoring position for the rest of his outing.

High Point seized the early lead plating a pair of runs in their first at bat. Pablo Rosario reached on a fielder's choice and moved all the way around from first on an RBI double by Billy Alvino. Matt Gantner scored Alvino with an RBI single giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead.

Wake Forest got one back in the bottom of the first. Ben Terry drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on a pair of wild pitches before scoring on an RBI fielder's choice up the middle from Allan Dykstra.

The Panthers upped their lead to 4-1 with two more runs in the second. HPU used three consecutive walks and a hit batter to force home the first run. Randy Schwartz then drew a bases loaded walk to plate the second score of the inning.

The Demon Deacons cut into the HPU lead with two runs in the second. Nathan Frazier slapped a two-out double followed by an RBI single for Terry. Willy Fox tallied an RBI single scoring Terry making the score 4-3.

WFU earned their first lead of the game (6-4) with three runs in the fourth inning. Fox and Dykstra reached base via back-to-back walks and Mike Murray followed with an RBI single scoring Fox. Andy Goff and Evan Ocheltree were both hit by pitches, with Ocheltree's resulting in a run being forced home. Eric Williams lifted a sacrifice fly to rightfield pushing across the third run of the frame.

After four scoreless innings at the plate, HPU rallied with four runs to regain the lead 8-6 in the seventh. Gantner got the rally started with a leadoff single up the middle. After a flyout, Alfie Wheeler singled and Max Fulginiti moved both runners up with a groundout to the pitcher. Kyle Mahoney opened a string of four straight hits for the Panthers driving in a pair of runs. Jeff Cowan and Alvino each collected RBI singles in the flurry.

High Point expanded their lead to 10-6 with two more runs in the eighth. Gantner earned a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Drew Geissinger. After a groundout moved Gantner to third, Fulginiti drew a walk putting runners on the corners. A wild pitch allowed Gantner to cross the plate and moved Fulginiti to second. Mahoney delivered again for the Panthers with an RBI single.

Schwartz slugged a two-run homer to centerfield to give the Panthers a few more insurance runs in the top of the ninth. It was his team-leading seventh homerun of the season.

The Deacons put together a ninth-inning rally but only were able to come away with two runs. HPU closer Bubba O'Donnell hit Goff to lead off the frame. One batter later, pinch hitter Brett Linnenkohl walked to put two on. Weldon Woodall followed with a pinch-hit double to left center to drive in Goff. Terry then hit an RBI groundout to score pinch runner Steven Brooks and bring the final score to 12-8.

Reliever Phil Negus (2-2) suffered the loss for Wake Forest. The righthander came on in relief of Ben Hunter to start the seventh inning. He surrendered four runs on four hits in 2/3 of an inning.

Mahoney and Schwartz drove in three runs apiece to lead the Panthers at the plate. Alvino went 3-for-6 with two RBIs.

Wake Forest finished with nine hits on the day but only two of which came after the Deacons' three-run rally in the fourth. Hood and Murray had two hits apiece, while Terry drove in two and scored twice.

HPU visits Winthrop for a three-game Big South series this weekend to conclude their current nine-game road stretch.