April 27, 2008

Box Score

ATLANTA, Ga. - Behind 8 1/3 innings from starter Ben Hunter and a two-run home run from Allan Dykstra, Wake Forest salvaged the final game of its weekend series at Georgia Tech, picking up a 7-5 defeat of the Yellow Jackets Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.

With the win, the Demon Deacons move to 17-27 overall and 8-15 in the ACC. The Jackets drop to 31-13 overall and 12-12 in conference play.

After the start of the game was delayed almost half an hour, the Deacons got out of the gate quickly with an early 2-0 lead. After the Jackets tied the scored 2-2, Wake took a 3-2 lead that Georgia Tech would come back to tie. However, the Deacs were able to push the go-ahead run across in the sixth and add three important insurance runs in the seventh.

The three-run seventh would prove key, as the Yellow Jackets scored twice in the bottom half of the inning and threatened in the ninth by putting the first two runners on. Alex Wiesner and Phil Negus came on in relief of Hunter to quickly record the final two outs of the game.

Hunter (2-5) earned the win with one of his strongest starts of the season. The senior righthander allowed five runs, three earned, on seven hits over 8 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked three before leaving with two on and one out in the ninth.

Negus picked up his second save of the season, striking out slugger Luke Murton to end the game. Wiesner threw just one pitch on the day, but he was able to get a routine flyball for the second out of the ninth.

Dykstra led the offense, going 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run. He hit his 13th home run of the season in the seventh. Evan Ocheltree had two hits for the Deacs, while Willy Fox extended his hitting streak to nine games with an infield single to lead off the seventh inning. Fox has now hit safely in 18 of his past 19 games. Weldon Woodall had a crucial pinch hit in the sixth, driving in the go-ahead run.

Wake Forest opened an early lead with a pair of unearned runs in the second inning. Mike Murray reached on a fielding error, and Ocheltree doubled into the rightfield corner one out later. Andy Goff drove in Murray with an RBI groundout to short. Steven Brooks then grounded a single up the middle to plate Ocheltree and give Wake a 2-0 advantage.

Georgia Tech responded quickly with two runs of its own in the bottom of the second. Brad Feltes reached on a one-out error, and Thomas Nichols followed with a two-run home run to right.

The Deacons came right back with a run in the top of the third, but Wake Forest missed out on an opportunity to put more runs on the board. Ben Terry led off with a bunt single, laying it down the third base line with two strikes on him. After a walk to Fox, Dykstra dumped a single into center to plate Terry and move Fox to third. Georgia Tech starter Zach Von Tersh worked his way out of the jam with consecutive strikeouts and a groundout.

The Yellow Jackets plated the tying run in the bottom of the fifth. Jeff Rowland was issued a one-out walk and then stole second. After a walk to Murton, both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch. Derek Dietrich cashed the run in with an RBI groundout to second.

Wake Forest countered with the go-ahead run the following inning, taking advantage of Brooks' speed and Woodall's pinch-hitting prowess. After the first two batters of the inning went down in order, Brooks induced a two-out walk. The Deacs then called upon Woodall to bat for Nathan Frazier. After Woodall fell behind in the count 0-2, Brooks was able to steal second base on the next pitch. Woodall then came through by blooping a single into shallow rightfield. Brooks was waved around third on the play and slid in safely just ahead of a sweep tag by the Georgia Tech catcher.

The Deacons added to their lead in the seventh with three runs coming across, two of which were courtesy of Dykstra's bomb off reliever Brad Rulon. Fox led off with an infield single, and Dykstra followed by pulling a 2-0 offering from Rulon into the trees beyond the rightfield fence. It was his 13th home run of the season.

Murray kept the rally alive with a walk and moved to second on Dustin Hood's sacrifice bunt. Georgia Tech then went to lefty Taylor Wood to face the lefthanded-hitting Ocheltree. Ocheltree won the battle, slapping a single into left to drive in Murray and give Wake a 7-3 lead.

The Jackets cut the deficit in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. Pinch hitter Patrick Long reached on a leadoff walk, and Charlie Blackmon followed with a single to center. Both runners would come around to score on the next play by virtue of a couple defensive miscues. Rowland laid down a sacrifice bunt to third base. Courtney Morgan fielded the ball cleanly but made an errant throw to first base, allowing Long to score and Rowland to reach. Rowland took second on the play but rounded the bag too far, getting caught in a rundown. While the Deacs were chasing down Rowland (who was eventually retired 9-6-5-4), Blackmon raced in from third to score the second run of the inning.

Jay Dantzler was hit by a 2-2 pitch to lead off the frame. Long followed with a single to right before Hunter struck out Blackmon for the first out. Wake then went to the lefty Wiesner to face the lefthanded-hitting Rowland. Wiesner did his job with just one pitch, getting Rowland to fly out to center. Righthander Negus then came on to face Murton, a righthanded hitter, to close the game. Negus needed just three pitches to strike out Murton and end the game.

Von Tersch (5-3) took the loss for Georgia Tech. The righthander went six innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and a pair of walks. Rulon gave up three runs on two hits and a walk in 1/3 innings.

Blackmon led the Jackets at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a run. Nichols drove in a pair with his fifth homer of the season.

Wake Forest is back in action with two games during the upcoming mid-week. The Deacons will wrap up a nine-game road swing on Tuesday evening at UNC Greensboro before hosting Davidson on Wednesday afternoon.