Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Elon
Elon Cruises Past Wake Forest, 8-2
4/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 3, 2007
ELON, N.C. - After shutting out ACC-rival North Carolina last Sunday, Wake Forest almost had the tables turned against it on Tuesday. Elon held the Demon Deacons to just four hits and came within two outs of a shutout in an 8-2 defeat of Wake at Latham Park.
The loss drops the Deacons to 15-16 overall, the second time this season Wake Forest has been below the .500 mark. Elon moves to 18-14 with the win.
The Deacs could not get it going on the mound or at the plate. Starter Alex Wiesner spotted Elon five runs over the first two innings, and the offense couldn't catch up. Wake put just five runners into scoring position prior to the ninth inning and only two of the five to third base.
Wake Forest scored its only runs of the day in the ninth inning but did so without the virtue of a hit. Four straight one-out walks produced the first run. Weldon Woodall was credited with the RBI on a bases-loaded walk. Dustin Hood followed with a sacrifice fly to the wall in center to score the Deacons' second and final run of the game.
Elon got out to an early lead with two runs in the first inning. Pat Irvine hit a two-out double to right center on an 0-2 count to score a pair of Phoenix runners.
The Phoenix added three more off Wiesner in the second. Wiesner gave up a double, a single, a triple and a single before recording an out in the inning.
Wiesner made it through the next two innings unscathed before ending his night in the middle of the fifth. Elon plated three more runs in the frame, two off Wiesner and one off reliever Joel Ernst. Ernst came on with two on and no outs in the inning.
Wake Forest threatened in the second and sixth innings when it put two on in each frame. However, the Deacs could not come through with a big two-out hit to score any of the runners.
Michael Murray, Evan Ocheltree, Eric Williams and Andy Goff each had a hit for the Deacons. Murray's single in the sixth extended his hitting streak to six games.
Wiesner (1-1) suffered the first loss of his collegiate career. The freshman lefty lasted four-plus innings, allowing seven runs, all earned, on eight hits. Wiesner struck out three and walked three.
Phil Negus pitched two innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit while striking out two.
Elon starter Zach Booker (3-2) shut out the Deacons for six innings. The senior righthander allowed four hits while striking out four and walking three.
Booker also led the Phoenix at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Jordy Snyder finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs as well.
The loss was Wake's second straight to Elon after falling to the Phoenix, 7-5, on April 11, 2006. The Deacs will have their chance at revenge when Elon visits Hooks Stadium on May 1, 2007.
Wake Forest returns to action this weekend with a three-game ACC series at Maryland. The Deacons and Terrapins will play at 7 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
