Baseball Closes The Book On Fall Practice
10/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Oct. 22, 2001
WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- The Wake Forest baseball team closed the book on fall practice on Sunday afternoon with the final game in the best-of-three Black and Gold Series at Hooks Stadium. With Sunday's win the Gold team captured the series two games to one. Nick Blue's two-out double in the game's final at-bat scored Brian Bach to give the Gold squad a 9-8 victory.
Gold held a 7-5 lead but in the top of hte sixth, sophomore Steve LeFaivre blasted a three-run homer off senior All-American Dave Bush to give the Black squad a slim one-run lead. Junior catcher Stephen Ghutzman responded immediately on behalf of the Gold team with a solo homer in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at eight.
Bush retired the side in the seventh setting the stage for junior Nick Blue. His double brought Winston-Salem freshman Brian Bach around to score for the series clinching run.
A mob scene ensued as the Gold squad continued its long string of fall intrasquad championships.
The Black team forced a deciding game three after winning on Saturday with strong pitching performances by seniors Brad Comer and Ryan Lewis and sophomore Adam Hanson. In game one on Wednesday, the Gold team won 7-2 on the bat of junior Ryan Braun drilled a grand slam to left field.
The Deacons are coming off their third ACC Championship in four seasons. Wake Forest returns 10 pitchers and three starters from last season's 44-8 team that made a fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Some of the top returners including senior All-American pitcher Dave Bush and last year's National Freshman of the Year Jamie D'Antona.
The 2002 season will get underway on February 12 at Davidson. The home opener will be February 20 at Hooks Stadium against Elon College.