Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Florida State
Deacons Knock Off Seminoles, 5-3
3/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2002
Winston-Salem, N.C. - The 8th-ranked Wake Forest baseball team opened its weekend series with a 5-3 win over visiting Florida State on Friday afternoon in front of an overflow crowd of 2,750 at Hooks Stadium.
Redshirt freshman Ryder Mathias drilled a two-run homer in the fourth inning that proved to be the game-winner. Sophomore Kyle Sleeth got the win to improve to 5-0 while Dave Bush picked up save number six as the Deacons upped their record to 21-4 overall, 5-1 in the ACC.
Sleeth pitched seven strong innings allowing just three runs with help from his infielders as the Deacons turned four double plays, the most since March 11, 2001 versus Duke.
The Deacons got on the board first when Stephen Ghutzman went to third on Ben Ingold's infield single and advanced home on a throwing error. The Seminoles came back with a pair of runs in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth, Wake Forest took the lead for good on Mathias' two-run homer. Ghutzman scored on on Jeff Ruziecki's double down the right field line. With two out, Mathias muscled the 2-1 pitch over the left field wall, catapulting the Deacons into the lead.
Sleeth held the Seminoles scoreless until the seventh inning when he gave up a leadoff home run to Jerrod Brown as FSU pulled within two runs. With one on in the seventh, Sleeth gave way to Adam Hanson who got the Seminoles' top hitter, Ryan Barthelemy, to ground into a double play.
Bush pitched a perfect ninth, striking out two batters to close the door.
Wake Forest and Florida State will get together Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Freshman Tim Morley (2-1, 3.07 ERA) will make the start for the Deacons. Robby Read (5-1, 3.98 ERA) will pitch for the Seminoles.
Game two of the series will be televised regionally on Fox Sports South, the Sunshine Network and Comcast. Stan Cotten and Carter Blackburn will also call the action on an internet-only broadcast that can be heard around the globe at WakeForestSports.com.
