May 13, 2008

Box Score

ELON, N.C. - Elon rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth to post a 16-15 walk-off defeat of Wake Forest Tuesday afternoon at Latham Park.

The loss snapped the Demon Deacons six-game winning streak and dropped the squad to 22-28 on the year. The Phoenix move to 39-16 on the season with the win.

Outs were at a premium as both teams traded leads throughout the game. The Deacons looked to have the final word as they rallied for three runs over the final two innings to take a 15-13 advantage heading into the bottom of the ninth.

However, the Phoenix had other plans. Chase Austin led off with a solo home run against closer Phil Negus to cut the deficit in half. Elon then got three singles to plate the final two runs, the game-winning blow coming with two outs and a runner on second.

Wake Forest and Elon combined to score 31 runs on 33 hits. The Phoenix hit five home runs on the day, while the Deacons had one--a three-run shot off the bat of Ben Terry. The game was the second slugfest the teams have played this season, as the Phoenix posted a 19-10 defeat of the Deacons in late April. In the two games combined, the squads scored 60 runs on 61 hits.

On Tuesday, the Wake Forest bats pounded out 14 hits. Terry, Andy Goff, Dustin Hood, Mike Murray, Tyler Smith and Eric Williams had two hits apiece. Terry finished 2-for-4 with a homer, four RBIs and two runs scored. Smith also drove in four runs, going 2-for-5 with a double. Williams scored four times, while Steven Brooks, Goff and Murray scored twice each.

Murray extended his hitting streak to nine games. He has had a hit in 22 of his last 23 games. Goff pushed his hitting streak to seven games.

On the mound, six Deacon hurlers combined to allow 16 runs on 19 hits. Each pitcher gave up at least one run.

Negus (4-3) took the loss with 1 2/3 innings of relief. The righthander gave up three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk. The closer entered the game to start the eighth with Wake ahead 14-13.

Starter Brandon Johnson (2-2) did not factor into the decision after pitching 2 1/3 innings for the Deacons. The freshman righthander, making his third start of the season, allowed seven runs on six hits and five walks.

Wake Forest jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Brooks reached on a one-out walk, moved to second and then stole third. After a walk to Murray put runners at the corners, Hood cleared the bases with a two-out triple to right center.

Elon fought back with two runs of its own in the bottom of the first. Chris Dove pulled a 2-1 pitch from Johnson to leftfield for a leadoff home run. One out later, Cory Harrilchak doubled and then came around to score on Dallas Tarleton's two-out single.

The Deacons came right back with three runs in the second, courtesy of Terry's home run. Goff hit a one-out single, and Williams followed with a walk. Terry then went the other way on a 2-2 pitch from Elon starter Steven Hensley, lofting the ball over the fence in left center. It was Terry's second home run of the season.

The Phoenix cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the second. After Dove reached on a fielder's choice and Donny Jobe followed with a single, a two-out balk brought home the run.

Elon took the lead with five runs off Johnson and reliever Matt Hammond in the third. Tarleton and Austin started the rally with back-to-back doubles, plating the first run. Walks by Mike Melillo and Pat Irvine loaded the bases with one out. Dove followed by chopping a two-run double down the leftfield line against Hammond. Jobe drove in a run with an RBI groundout, and Harrilchak brought home one with an infield single to give the home squad an 8-5 advantage.

Wake Forest got one of the runs back in the fourth. Williams reached on a one-out double and then scored on Terry's ensuing single to right, cutting the deficit to 8-6.

The Phoenix plated a run in the fifth when Jobe reached on a walk and then scored on Bennett Davis' sacrifice fly to deep center.

The Deacons batted around to take the lead with six runs in the sixth. Goff reached on a leadoff double and then moved to third on Williams' single. After Terry was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Brooks laced a double into the rightfield corner to score a pair of runs. Fox drove in the tying run with an RBI groundout to short. Walks to Murray and Woodall loaded the bases with two outs. Elon then went to lefty reliever Jesse Lewter to face the left-handed hitting Smith. Smith won the battle, driving an 0-1 pitch to the warning track in right center. The double cleared the bases and gave Wake a 12-9 lead.

Elon took the lead with four runs, courtesy of three homers to dead center, against relievers Ryan Bouton and Alex Wiesner in the seventh. Harrilchak homered on Bouton's first pitch of the inning to start the scoring. Davis then reached on a walk, and Wiesner was called in from the bullpen. Tarleton hit a 2-2 offering from Wiesner for a game-tying two-run homer. Two outs later, Mike Lobacz put the Phoenix on top with a solo home run off Wiesner.

Wake Forest responded by re-claiming the lead with two runs in the eighth. Murray and Hood reached on consecutive one-out singles. One out later, Smith lined a single to right to score pinch runner Austin Jones from second. Goff then hit what looked to be an inning-ending pop-up to shallow center. However, the Elon shortstop dropped the ball, allowing Hood to score the go-ahead run. Smith was thrown out at home trying to score behind Hood on the play.

The Deacons added an insurance run in the ninth, pushing their lead to 15-13. Williams led off with a walk and moved to second on Terry's sacrifice bunt. After a walk to Brooks and a groundout that moved the runners up a base, pinch hitter Brett Linnenkohl came through with a two-out single to score Williams. However, Brooks was narrowly cut down at the plate trying to score on the play.

The out at the plate would prove important, as the Phoenix rallied in the ninth. Austin led off the inning with a solo home run to left, hitting a 1-2 offering from Negus. Melillo then reached on a single, moved to second on a passed ball and took third on a sacrifice bunt. Greg Annarummo followed by dumping a bloop single over a drawn-in infield to score Melillo with the tying run. A strikeout of Dove was the second out of the frame, but Annarummo stole second on the play. Jobe followed with the game-winning hit, driving an 0-1 pitch to right center for a walk-off single.

Reliever Thomas Girdwood (5-1) picked up the win for Elon. Girdwood pitched the ninth inning, giving up one run on one hit and a pair of walks.

Hensley received a no-decision for Elon. The righthander went 2+ innings, surrendering five runs on four hits and three walks.

Harrilchak led the Phoenix offense, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs. Dove drove in three RBIs and scored three times.

Wake Forest is back in action with a three-game series at Boston College beginning on Thursday. The series will wrap up regular season play for the Deacs. Wake must win at least one of the three games, or have Duke lose once at Virginia Tech, in order to qualify for next week's ACC Tournament.