March 21, 2007
Box Score
ROCK HILL, S.C. -
Allan Dykstra and Evan Ocheltree homered and the bullpen did the rest to lead Wake Forest to a 10-8 win over Winthrop in a slugfest-turned-pitcher's duel Wednesday evening at the Winthrop Ballpark.
The two teams combined for 15 runs in the first three innings before the bullpens took over from there on out.
Demon Deacon relievers Phil Negus, Eric Niesen, Ben Hunter and Josh Ellis combined to allow just one run over the final five innings to seal the victory for Wake.
Negus (1-0) earned his first collegiate victory in 2 2/3 innings of relief. Negus allowed one earned run on one hit with two walks.
Josh Ellis picked up his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.
Niesen was solid in his first relief outing of the season. The lefty threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. Niesen struck out the side in the seventh.
Hunter had two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 eighth.
Allan Dykstra started an early slugfest by both teams with a solo home run in the first inning. Dykstra hit a 1-2 pitch from Winthrop starter Brett Moore over the fence in right field, giving the sophomore first baseman his ninth homer of the season.
Winthrop batted around to score five runs off Wake starter Joel Ernst in the bottom of the first. A Billy Froehlich two-run home run started a string of six straight Eagle batters with a hit.
The Deacons got two of the runs back in the second, taking advantage of an Eagle fielding error. With Dustin Hood aboard, Ben Terry reached on a throwing error by the third baseman. After Eric Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Cory Hindel drove in a run with an infield single. Brett Linnenkohl followed with an RBI groundout to cut the Winthrop lead to 5-3.
Wake re-took the lead with five runs in the third inning. The first four batters all had hits, and nine batters total came to the plate in the frame. Dykstra singled, and Fox doubled to put runners at second and third for Hood.
Hood laced a single through the left side to score Dykstra and chase Moore. Evan Ocheltree greeted reliever Ryan Schwartz by blasting the first pitch he saw for an opposite-field home run to left. The homer was Ocheltree's fourth of the season and his first since Feb. 25 at San Diego.
Eric Williams continued the rally with a one-out single. Williams came around to score on a Brett Linnenkohl single to right center.
The Eagles cut the Deacons' lead to 8-7 with two more runs off Ernst in the bottom of the third. Phil Negus came on for Ernst with the bases loaded, one out and one run already in. Negus got out of the jam relatively unscathed, getting a sacrifice fly to left and a flyout to center.
After the two teams played a scoreless fourth inning, Winthrop struck again in the fifth. A leadoff walk, a sacrifice bunt and a double down the left field line brought the tying run across for the Eagles.
Wake Forest re-took the lead again with an unearned run the following frame. Dykstra was hit by a pitch to lead off and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Ocheltree.
The Deacs added an insurance run in the eighth, as Terry drove in Dykstra with a sacrifice fly.
Dykstra finished the day 3-for-3 with one RBI and four runs scored. He was hit by two pitches. Willy Fox and Dustin Hood had two hits apiece to extend their hitting streaks to 12 and seven games respectively.
Linnenkohl went 2-for-6 with two RBIs, while Ocheltree drove in four runs.
Andy Goff returned to the lineup after missing the past 10 games with a hyper-extended elbow. Goff started at second base and finished the day 0-for-6.
Ernst lasted 2 1/3 innings in his third mid-week start of the season. Ernst gave up seven runs, all earned, on 10 hits.
Wake Forest returns to ACC play this weekend, hosting NC State in a three-game series at Hooks Stadium. RHP Brad Kledzik (2-1, 5.20) will pitch for the Deacons on Friday, while RHP Andrew Brackman (4-1, 2.97) will go for the Wolfpack in the opening game.
