Wake Forest University
Middle Tennessee St. (NCAA Regionals)
Sullivan Leads Deacons Past Middle Tennessee In NCAA Baseball Tournament
5/26/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 26, 2001
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Senior All-American Cory Sullivan pitched six innings of one-hit baseball to run his record to 7-0 as Wake Forest remained alive in the NCAA sub-regional here at Lindsey Nelson Stadium with a 6-3 win over Middle Tennessee State.
Sullivan was equally effective at the plate, going 3-for-5 including a towering solo home run in the eighth inning. Sullivan, who was named first team All-American Friday by Collegiate Baseball, also added a pair of stolen bases.
Wake Forest, 42-17 overall, will play tonight a 7 p.m. against the loser of this afternoon's game between Tennessee and Tennessee Tech. The Deacons dropped into the loser's bracket on Friday following a 9-7 loss to fourth-seeded Tennessee Tech.
Sullivan pitched five and two-thirds innings of no-hit baseball before surrendering a solo home run to Marshall Nisbett in the sixth inning. Sullivan lost the shutout the previous inning when the Blue Raiders scored an unearned run.
Dave Bush, who made his 40th relief appearance of the season, earned his 16th save.
Middle Tennessee completes its season with a record of 41-17.
Freshman Jamie D'Antona, the ACC Rookie of the Year, put the Deacons on the scoreboard first by slamming a two-run home run off of Jason Moates in the top of the first inning. D'Antona's 14th home run of the season, which gave Wake a 2-0 lead, was his second of the NCAA Tournament.
Middle Tennessee pulled to within 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth without a base hit. Nisbett walked with one out, stole second base and advanced to third on a fly-out. Nisbett scored the unearned run with two outs when Jason Howarth's ground ball was booted by Wake third baseman Corey Slavik.
The Deacons added a run and knocked Middle Tennessee pitcher Jason Moates out of the game on the same play in the fifth inning when Corey Slavik lined a shot off of Moates ankle. Sullivan, who led off the inning with a single, stole second and moved to third on a ground out, scored on the play to give Wake a 3-1 lead.
The Blue Raiders closed the gap to within one run again in the bottom of the sixth inning. With two outs, Nisbett ruined Sullivan's no-hitter with a solo home run over the right field wall.
Wake Forest took a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh when Nick Blue led off the frame with a walk, stole second base and went to third on Sullivan's second straight single. Blue crossed the plate on Jason Aquilante's sacrifice fly ball.
The Deacons added an insurance run in the eighth when Jamie Athas' triple scored Carlos Brackley all the way from first base. Brackley reached first when he was hit by a pitch.
But pesky Middle Tennessee would not go quietly. After Chuck Akers reached first on a fielding error, Wake brought in third team All-American Dave Bush from the bullpen for his 40th relief appearance of the season. Bush promptly struck out Kyle Skillman, but Nisbett pounded a double to left-center that scored Akers. Bush then struck out Kyle Thomas and got Jason Howarth to fly out to end the inning.
