High Point scored in the first six innings of the game and received a solid outing from RJ Chlebnikow en route to a 8-4 Big South victory over Gardner-Webb at Masters Field.  The win jumps the Panthers into fifth place in the Big South standings with five conference contests remaining. 

Jeff Cowan led off the game with a walk before being forced out at second base on a fielder's choice allowing Alfie Wheeler to reach first.  After a flyout to rightfield, Billy Alvino was hit by a pitch on a 2-1 count.  It was the 56th time Alvino has been hit by a pitch in his career, breaking the Big South record.  A great read by Wheeler on a ball in the dirt allowed him to reach third before Kyle Mahoney laced a single to leftfield giving the Panthers an early 1-0 lead.

Gardner-Webb (22-22, 10-12) responded by score two of their four runs in the bottom half of the inning.  A single by Brock Miller up the box followed by a triple to centerfield plate the tying run in the inning.  Another single up the middle gave GW a 2-1 lead after one.

The Panthers would score the next four runs in the ballgame.  Spencer Andrews hit his first career homerun to left-centerfield on a 2-1 fastball knotting the game at 2-2.  Back-to-back hits by Wheeler and Bill Manion put runners on first and third in the third.  Wheeler crossed home on a double-play groundout.  Andrews drew a one-out walk to get a rally going in the fourth inning.  Eric Marion doubled to rightfield putting the runners in scoring position.  Pablo Rosario and Cowan were hit-by-pitches forcing in Andrews for a 4-2 HPU advantage after 3 ½ innings of play.

Once again the Running Bulldogs had an answer scoring their final two runs of the contest equaling the score at four all after four.  Aaron Miller singled up the middle before B. Miller plated the third baseman on a double to centerfield.  Two straight groundouts advanced B. Miller to third and then allow him to score the last run for the hosts.

Alvino upped his career mark to 57 by being hit by another pitch to begin the fifth inning.  Mahoney hit a grounder to the third baseman who tried to start a double-play but the throw pulled the second baseman off the base allowing Alvino to be safe but Mahoney was out on the play.  Max Fulginiti hit a sharp grounder which the GW second baseman couldn't handle putting runners on the corners.  A sacrifice bunt moved Fulginiti up to second.  Marion and Rosario drew walks forcing in Alvino.

HPU (18-25, 10-9) posted a two-run sixth inning thanks to three straight doubles to start the inning.  Wheeler and Manion smacked the first pitch of their at-bats to leftfield and centerfield, respectively, with Manion's plating Wheeler.  After falling behind 0-2 in the at-bat, Alvino ripped a double down the leftfield line bringing in Manion.  In the eighth, Wheeler hit his third double of the contest and moved up to third on a flyout.  The senior would score on a wild pitch, making it 8-4.

Chlebnikow worked 7.2 innings giving up four runs on 10 hits.  The left-handers struckout four and retired 11 of the final 13 batters he faced.  He moves his record to 3-4 on the season.  Jeremy Berg worked a scoreless 1.1 innings to close out the contest.  Offensively, Wheeler, Manion and Alvino each had multiple hit performances led by Wheeler's 3-for-5 day at the plate.  He also scored four runs.  Fulginiti saw his hitting streak snapped at 32 games, which leaves him in a tie for the Big South's longest streak ever and was six games better then the next highest at HPU.  Cowan was hit for the 17th time this season, tying the school's single-season set last year by Alvino.  Rosario moved into fourth all-time while Alvino is in a tie for fifth.  Alvino also hit his 17th double of the season, the fifth most in a single season.  Wheeler moved into a tie for fifth all-time in runs scored with 141.

Devin Campbell suffered the loss allowing five runs (four earned) in five innings of work.  He gave up five hits hit four batters and walked four.  His record drops to 3-3 on the season.  A. Miller was 4-for-4 at the dish while B. Miller and Justin Lloyd both had a pair of hits.  B.  Miller score twice and Lloyd knocked in a pair. 

High Point will be back in action tomorrow afternoon May 9th for game two of the series at Masters Field.  First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.