Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Duke
Deacons Edged By Duke, 6-5
4/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Durham, N.C. - For the third straight day, the Wake Forest baseball team lost in the game's final at-bat as Duke captured a 6-5 victory on Sunday and a weekend sweep of the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest took a 5-4 lead into the ninth inning. Reliever Kirby Wedekind had thrown 3.1 innings of scoreless relief but left the game with an apparent elbow injury. Freshman reliever Sean Souders came on, setting the stage for the third straight day of Duke dramatics.
After a leadoff walk, Wake Forest catcher J.B. Tucker threw out Javi Socorro who was trying to steal second. But a walk, a single and a hit batter loaded the bases with only one out.
Souders got Bryan Smith to hit a slow roller to shortstop. A double play would have given the Deacons a victory. But Smith beat the throw to first base, tying the game instead.
Now tied at 5-5 with two outs in the ninth and runners on the corners, Souders got another bouncing ball on the infield. This one was gloved by Ingold up the middle on a high hop. But he struggled to get the ball out of his glove. Once he did, his momentum carried him too far behind the game. Everyone was safe and the winning run scored easily from third.
It was the third one-run loss for the Deacons in as many days. During Wake Forest's current 13-game losing streak, four have been one-run contests.
Just as they did yesterday, the Deacons twice battled from behind to tie the game. In the fourth inning, Brad Scioletti's two-run blast to left field tied the game at two. Wake Forest scored three runs in the sixth inning to take a 5-4 lead.
Offensively, the Deacons were led by Brad Scioletti's 3-for-5 day which included a double and a homer. Matt Miller had two hits and knocked in two runs and J.B. Tucker also had a pair of singles.
Wake Forest slides to 11-21 overall, 1-11 in the ACC. Duke improves to 18-18, 6-6 in the league.
The Deacons return home for the first time in nine days to play Davidson on Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. That game can be heard live on 98.1 WBRF. Stan Cotten and Cory Provus will have the call.
Wake Forest will be looking to avoid losing its 14th straight loss which would tie the school's longest losing streak set during the 1974-75 seasons.
