April 16, 2005

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest baseball team used a five-run sixth inning to pull away from NC State, 9-5, in ACC baseball action from Hooks Stadium Saturday afternoon. With the victory, the Demon Deacons improve to 16-20 overall and 9-11 in the ACC, while the Wolfpack drops to 26-11 overall and 8-9 in the conference.

After NC State climbed back within a run, 4-3, the Deacs put the game away in the sixth. Senior Matt Miller led off the inning reaching base when NC State starting pitcher Branden Knapp plunked him. Junior Casey Sterk followed with a double down the left field line. With runners at second and third, Knapp was pulled for Adam McLaurin. McLaurin was greeted with a two-run double off the bat of freshman Andy Goff to make the score 6-3.

McLaurin then walked freshman Brett Linnenkohl and sophomore Matt Antonelli to load the bases with no outs. McLaurin then proceeded to hit senior Ben Ingold which pushed across another run making the score, 7-3. Phillip Davidson then replaced McLaurin and struckout senior J.B. Tucker for the first out of the inning. Davidson ran into control problems of his own, drilling senior Ryder Mathias allowing another run to score and giving the Demon Deacons an 8-3 lead.

Mathias has now been hit 21 times this season and 34 for his career, which ties Jason Acquilante for the all-time Wake Forest record for hit-by-pitch.

With the bases still loaded and just one out, NC State catcher Jake Muyco was unable to handle Davidson's 1-0 pitch to redshirt sophomore Brendan Enick. The passed ball rolled all the way to the backstop and Antonelli scampered home to make it 9-3. The Deacs could have added even more insurance, but Enick flied out and Mathias, who was on second base at the time, got caught in a run down between second and third base. During the rundown, Ingold tried to race home, but was thrown out by Wolfpack third basemen Matt Devine.

NC State did mount a small rally in the top of the seventh with a pair of runs and narrowed the Wake Forest lead to 9-5, but freshman Eric Niesen and junior closer Kyle Young made the lead stand.

Niesen went 1.1 innings and did not allow a run on one hit. The southpaw struckout two, walked one and had two balks. Young was outstanding in the ninth. The right-handed hurler retired NC State in order and recorded two punchouts.

Senior Tim Morley, making his first appearance since injuring his shoulder on Mar. 18 against Miami, went 2.0 innings and allowed just one hit. Morley (1-4) did end up getting charged with two earned runs, but entered the game with the tying run in scoring position in the fifth inning and worked out of the jam. The lefty fanned two and walked one.

Wake Forest starter Charlie Mellies pitched 4.0 innings and allowed just one earned run on three hits. Mellies struckout four and walked one.

The Deacs were carried offensively by their 7-8-9 hitters in the lineup. The trio of Sterk, Goff and Linnenkohl went 6-for-10 with four RBI and six runs scored. Sterk went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Goff went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI, while Linnenkohl went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Knapp (2-2) was charged with the loss for the Wolfpack. The southpaw went 5.0 innings and allowed six earned runs on seven hits. Knapp struckout four and walked three. McLaurin did not retire a batter and was charged for three runs, two of which were earned, on one hit. McLaurin walked two and hit two batters. Davidson threw 3.0 solid innings of scoreless baseball and allowed just one hit.

The Demon Deacons grabbed an early 4-0 lead with four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Goff and Linnenkohl each had RBI singles, while Tucker ripped a two-run double down the right field line.

Wake Forest and the Wolfpack return to action Sunday afternoon with game three of the ACC series. Senior Brian Bach will take the mound for the Demon Deacons. First-pitch at Hooks Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

-- WakeForestSports.com --