Wake Forest University
Ohio State
Wake Forest Baseball Gets Past Ohio State, 6-2
2/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 24, 2006
Gainesville, Fla. --- Wake Forest freshman Garrett Bullock picked up the victory in his first career start and fellow freshman Allan Dykstra drilled a three-run home run to lead the Demon Deacons past Ohio State, 6-2, in their opening game from the 2006 Pepsi Baseball Classic Friday afternoon.
Bullock (1-0) went 5.0+ innings and limited the Buckeyes to a pair of earned runs on just three hits. The southpaw fanned a career-best seven and walked three. The Greenville, N.C. native threw 104 pitches, 60 of which were strikes.
Redshirt sophomore Eric Williams was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and moved into scoring position on freshman Dustin Hood's sacrifice bunt. Junior Matt Antonelli followed with a walk, before Dykstra hammered a 3-2 curve ball from Buckeye starter Dan DeLucia (0-1) over the right field wall giving the Deacons a 3-1 lead.
Wake Forest (4-3) pushed its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second inning. After sophomore Weldon Woodall reached on an error, junior Brian Shust lined a one-out double into the right field gap. With two runners in scoring position and one out, Williams drove in Woodall with a sacrifice fly -- his second of the season. Williams is 5-for-5 this season with a runner on third base and less than two outs.
Bullock kept the lead intact, despite allowing a single run in the top of the fourth inning. After walking the leadoff man in the Ohio State sixth, senior Kyle Young entered and promptly induced a double play. Young retired the next six Buckeyes before running into a little trouble in the top of the eighth inning.
Ohio State (0-1) recorded back-to-back singles, but J.B. Shuck was thrown out at third base by Shust. After another Buckeye single, sophomore closer Ben Hunter entered the game. Hunter's first offering was in the dirt, allowing both runners to advance into scoring position. Hunter then walked Eric Fryer to load the bases. Ronnie Bourquin appeared to have tied the game, 4-4, with a two-run single, but the ball struck Fryer on its way through the infield. By rule, the ball is dead and Fryer is out.
With the Wake Forest lead, 4-2, redshirt junior Dan Rosaia provided a pair of insurance runs with a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth. After sophomore Any Goff reached on an error, senior Casey Sterk laid down a perfect bunt setting the stage for Rosaia. The catcher laced a 3-1 offering down the right field line.
Hunter pitched a perfect ninth to record his second save. The right-handed hurler went 1.1 innings with a strikeout. Young did not allow a run in 2.2 innings with no walks and three punch outs.
Dykstra went 1-for-4 with the three-run homer, the first of his career. Hood, Sterk, Rosaia and Shust each added hits.
Wake Forest returns to action Saturday night against No. 12 Missouri. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
