Feb. 25, 2007
Box Score
SAN DIEGO -
The Wake Forest baseball team needed late-game heroics and sophomore Evan Ocheltree delivered on Sunday against San Diego. The right fielder hit the go-ahead home run in the ninth inning, allowing the Deacs (4-3) to avoid extra innings and a potential series sweep with a 5-3 win over the No. 18 Toreros (11-5).
Up first in the top of the ninth with the score tied at 3, Ocheltree's solo blast to right center supplied the Deacs' go-ahead run. The homer was his third of the year.
After an Austin Jones ground out, pinch hitter Ben Terry walked and then immediately stole second to put himself in scoring position. Junior Eric Williams singled and brought home Terry for the insurance run.
Senior Josh Ellis came on in the eighth inning and pitched masterfully, striking out four and walking just one over the final two innings. With runners at second and third in the bottom of the ninth, the Lexington, Ky., punched out the final two Torero batters to seal the game.
Ellis was credited with the win, moving to 2-0 with his fifth appearance of the year. He has yet to give up a run.
San Diego native Allan Dykstra got the Deacs on the board early, jacking his second home run of the weekend and third of the year in the top of the first inning. Batting second, junior Andy Goff smoked one to left center to get on base. That set the scene for Dykstra, who put one over the fence in right field for the second straight day.
Wake made it 3-0 two batters later. Torero pitcher Josh Romanski hit junior Willy Fox to put him on first. Fox then advanced to third on a Dustin Hood single. With runners at first and third and Ocheltree at the plate, Hood took off for second and Fox for home. Romanski threw over to first baseman Daniel Magness who then tossed it to Justin Snyder at second. Snyder fired the ball home, but the throw was late and Fox was safe.
San Diego got two back in the bottom of the first to make the score 3-2. Up second, Sean Nicol reached first on a Goff error and then advanced to second on a balk from Wake starter Garrett Bullock. An error from Keith Mauney put Nicol on third who then got home off a hard grounder back to the pitcher from Logan Gelbrich. San Diego got its second run off an RBI single from James Meador.
The Toreros tied the game up in the bottom of the fourth. Up third in the inning, Bullock walked Mike Metzger who then advanced to second after Kevin Hansen was hit by a pitch. Snyder then singled through the right side, scoring Metzger and putting Hansen on third. With two on and two out, Bullock struck out Nicol to end the inning.
Bullock (1-0, 1.50 ERA) pitched well in his second straigh outing for Deacs, spreading out seven hits over his seven innings of play.
Next up for Wake will be a mid-week home game with the Charlotte 49ers on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at Hooks Stadium.
-- WakeForestSports.com --
