Wake Forest University
Charlotte
Wake Forest Comes Back to Beat Charlotte, 15-12
3/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 12, 2008
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest bounced back from a 10-1 deficit to defeat Charlotte 15-12 Wednesday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.
The Deacons fell behind 10-1 after the 49ers scored seven runs in the fourth inning. Wake Forest (9-5) scored 14 runs in its final four at-bats to hand Charlotte (11-2) just its second loss of the season.
Wake trailed 10-1 in the bottom of the fifth when Allan Dykstra stroked a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, as part of a three-run outburst. The Deacons scored three more runs in the sixth to pull to within 12-7. Andy Goff and Brett Linnenkohl had RBI singles in the inning while Willy Fox plated a run with a sacrifice fly.
The Deacons added a solo run in the seventh on a double by Dustin Hood and an RBI double by Goff that left Wake Forest behind 12-8 entering the eighth. Wake would send 12 hitters to the plate in the inning and score seven runs on five hits and four walks. Charlotte pitcher Sam Pierce walked Linnenkohl and Fox to open the frame before giving way to reliever Bryan Hamilton. After inducing a fly out from Dykstra and a strikeout of Mike Murray, Hamilton gave up run-scoring singles to Hood and Evan Ocheltree that made the score 12-11. A two-run double by pinch-hitter Tyler Smith gave Wake its first lead of the day at 13-12. Goff knocked in a run with an infield single and Fox followed with an RBI single to complete the rally.
Brad Kledzik pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his third save of the season. Alex Wiesner earned his first win of the season with two-third of an inning of scoreless relief.
"It was nice to end up coming back to win with seven runs in the eighth," said head coach Rick Rembielak. "I am still concerned with the number of runners we left on base and the fact that our pitching staff did not close the door (on Charlotte) early in the game."
Wake left the bases loaded in the third and sixth innings and stranded 10 in the game.
Goff finished with a game-high four hits while Terry and Hood each collected three as the Deacons finished the contest with 16 hits. Fox and Goff each had 3 RBI while Dykstra and Smith finished with two each.
The 49ers went ahead 1-0 in the second as Alan Parks doubled, moved to third on an infield ground out by Alex Burt and scored on a wild pitch. Charlotte went up3-0 with a pair of runs in the third. Aaron Bray led off the frame with a single and scored on a double by Brad McElroy. Chris Taylor singled to drive in McElroy before Ernst induced Burt into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Charlotte scored seven times in the fourth inning to go ahead 10-1, stringing together eight hits with a walk and a sac fly.
The Deacons will host Maryland this weekend at Hooks Stadium. The ACC series starts on Friday with a 3:00 p.m. start and continues with 1:00 games on Saturday and Sunday.
