Feb. 18, 2001

Box Score

Houston -- - The Wake Forest baseball team dropped a 3-2 decision to top-ranked Rice University at Reckling Park in Houston on Saturday afternoon. The game marks the first loss of the season for the Demon Deacons who drop to 4-1 on the season.

"Give credit to Rice and especially to Jon Skaggs, their starter who did an excellent job. He kept us off balance," head coach George Greer said. "This game and this weekend is good experience for us. We want to play in these types of games against tournament caliber teams. This game certainly had a tournament feel and it will definitely help us in the long run."

Freshman starting pitcher Kyle Sleeth worked 5.1 innings and yielded three runs. He gave up nine hits but was able to keep the Deacons close. Sleeth was able to pitch his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sleeth forced Rice's Billy Jacobson to ground out to shortstop to escape the inning with no damage done.

The Demon Deacons immediately took advantage in the top of the fifth when senior Corey Slavik's two-out, two-strike single scored senior Cory Sullivan, giving Wake Forest a 2-1 lead. Rice stormed back to reclaim the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when Phillip Ghutzman's chopper to shortstop brought home A.J. Porfirio.

Sophomore catcher Stephen Ghutzman made his Wake Forest debut while playing in his hometown and against his brother's team. He drove in the first Deacon run in the top of the second with a single to right field that scored Jamie D'Antona.

Wake Forest wraps up play at the Rice University Coca-Cola Classic at Reckling Park on Sunday against the Purdue Boilermakers at 12:30 p.m. Sophomore Ben Clayton is scheduled to make his first appearance of the season on the hill for the Demon Deacons.