Wake Forest University
Davidson
Davidson Stuns No. 24 Wake Forest Baseball, 9-5
4/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 18, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Davidson used a five-run eighth inning to race past No. 24 Wake Forest, 9-5, in baseball action from Hooks Stadium Tuesday afternoon. The Demon Deacons fall to 28-13 overall, while the Wildcats improve to 13-24.
Wake Forest held a 4-3 lead before Davidson erupted in the top of the eighth. Jay Heafner and Gregory Zage opened the inning with back-to-back singles off Demon Deacon reliever Josh Ellis. After Alden Crissey walked to load the bases, Rob Wilson slapped a double down the right field line to give the Wildcats a 5-4 lead. Blake Osborn followed with an RBI single pushing the lead to 6-4.
Wake Forest closer Ben Hunter replaced Ellis and got Wilson at home on Graham Chapman's bunt. With one out and runners on first and second, Hugh Eden pulled a double just inside the third base bag scoring both Chapman and Osborn making the Wildcat advantage four runs, 8-4.
Davidson added another run in the top of the ninth inning. Alex Entrekin singled, moved to second on a fielder's choice, advanced to third on a balk and scored on Wake Forest catcher Austin Jones' passed ball.
With a 9-4 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Deacons did mount a small threat off Wildcat closer Jay Heafner. Redshirt sophomore Eric Williams began the inning with a hit by pitch. Junior All-American Matt Antonelli followed with a double off the right field wall to put a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs. After freshman Dustin Hood grounded out cutting the deficit to 9-5, freshman Allan Dykstra was hit by a pitch, but Heafner got redshirt junior Brendan Enick and freshman Evan Ocheltree to fly out to end the game.
Michael Kaufman (1-4) picked up his first career victory in his 52nd career appearance for Davidson. The right-handed hurler tossed 3.0 hitless and scoreless innings. Kaufman struck out three and walked two.
Ellis (3-3) was charged with the loss. The righty did not retire a batter and surrendered five runs, all earned, on four hits. He also walked one. Freshman Tyler Smith started and pitched 5.0 relatively effective innings. He yielded three earned runs on five hits and left the game as the pitcher of record. Smith punched out a career-high five and walked two. Senior Kyle Young worked 2.0 scoreless innings, while Hunter did not allow an earned run in 2.0 innings.
Antonelli led the Wake Forest offensive attack with three hits and a pair of doubles (2-for-3). He scored two runs and drove in one. Dykstra went 2-for-3 with a two-run double. He leads the Demon Deacons with 51 RBI. Sophomore Brett Linnenkohl added an RBI single. Wake Forest struck out 11 times on the day.
Antonelli's RBI single and Dykstra's two-run double in the bottom of the fourth inning gave Wake Forest a 4-1 lead, but the Wildcats drew within a run, 4-3, in the top of the fifth inning on Heafner's RBI double and Entrekin's RBI single. Davidson's bullpen, Kaufman and Heafner, kept the Demon Deacons at bay the rest of the way. After Kaufman's 3.0 innings, Heafner worked the eighth and ninth inning and allowed just one earned run on one hit.
Entrekin, Heafner, Wilson and Osborn each had multi-hit games. Entrekin went 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. Wilson and Osborn each went 2-for-4. Wilson added three RBI and Heafner went 2-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored.
Wake Forest returns to action this weekend with an ACC series against Maryland. First pitch for Friday's opener at Hooks Stadium is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Each game on Saturday and Sunday will start at 1:00 p.m.
-- WakeForestSports.com --
