Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
USC Upstate
Wake Forest Wins Slugfest Against USC Upstate, 20-14
4/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 7, 2009
Box Score | Box Score in PDF Format 
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Tyler Smith and Evan Ocheltree each had four hits to lead a 20-run, 22-hit Wake Forest attack as the Demon Deacons defeated USC Upstate 20-14 on Tuesday night at Wake Forest Baseball Park.
Wake Forest improves to 18-12 on the season, while USC Upstate drops to 7-23 on the year.
The Demon Deacons enjoyed its best offensive game of the season, recording a season-high 22 hits and scoring 20 runs for the first time since May 24, 2005, when Wake scored 20 times against Maryland. After not scoring a run in the first inning, the Deacs scored in their last seven offensive innings, including six runs in the third, five runs in the fifth and four runs in the seventh.
The 34 runs scored by the two teams is tied for the sixth most combined runs in a game in Wake Forest history.
Wake Forest had 12 different players record at least one hit in the game, led by Smith and Ocheltree, who each set a new career high with four hits. Ocheltree tied season highs with three RBIs and four runs scored. Smith drove in three runs and scored twice, tying season highs in both categories.
Weldon Woodall hit his sixth home run of the season and tied a career-high with four RBIs and three runs scored. Ian Tomkins came off the bench as a defensive replacement and hit his first home run of the season.
Austin Stadler drove in three runs, while Steven Brooks and Carlos Lopez each had two hits with two RBIs. Shane Kroker and Dustin Hood each recorded multi-hit performances.
The Deacs also showed patience at the plate, drawing a season-high 11 walks.
USC Upstate was led by Phillip Morgan, who went 4-for-6 at the plate with a game-high six RBIs. Kyle Simpson had three hits in four official at-bats with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Brad Kledzik earned his second win of the season, allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings pitched. Ryan McGrath picked up his first save of the season, by throwing a perfect 1 1/3 innings.
Dennis McCraney suffered the loss for USC Upstate, giving up five runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings.
USC Upstate scored first with a run in the top of the first inning. Simpson led off the inning with a single to center and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Eric Guillen. Jimmy Tanner struck out swinging for the second out of the inning. Morgan singled to score Simpson and give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
The Spartans stretched their lead to 2-0 with a run in the second. Tommy Shovlin led off the inning with a single but was retired at second when Ryan Wilkins grounded into a fielder's choice. After Jeff Medley struck out swinging for the second out of the inning, Austin Liput singled through the left side to put runners at first and second. Simpson drove in Wilkins on an RBI single to make the score 2-0.
Wake Forest got on the board with a run in the bottom of the second. Woodall led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a single by Smith. Lopez grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to put a runner at third with two outs. Ocheltree singled to center to score Woodall and cut USC Upstate's lead to 2-1.
USC Upstate got the run back in the top of the third. Tanner led off the inning with a walk and moved to third on a single by Morgan down the right-field line. Tanner crossed the plate on a passed ball to stretch the Spartan lead to 3-1.
Wake Forest took its first lead of the game with six runs in the bottom of the third. Brooks and Kroker walked to start the inning and Murray walked to load the bases with one out. Woodall reached on a fielder's choice to third to score Brooks to cut the lead to 3-2. Smith doubled down the right-field line to plate Kroker and Woodall to give the Deacs a 4-3 lead. Lopez and Ocheltree walked to load the bases for the second time in the inning. Stadler cleared the bases with a three-RBI double down the left-field line to give the Deacs a 7-3 edge.
The Spartans got a run back in the top of the fourth inning. Austin Liput walked with one out and moved to second when Simpson reached on a fielding error by the first baseman on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Eric Guillen singled to center field to score Liput.
The Deacs answered with a run in the bottom half of the fourth. Kroker and Hood led off the inning with singles. A wild pitch moved Kroker to third and Hood to second. Kroker tried to score on a pitch that got by the catcher, but the USC Upstate catcher recovered and threw to the pitcher covering home for the out. Murray followed with a walk and Woodall fouled out to the catcher for the second out of the inning. Smith scored Hood on a single through the right side for Wake's eighth run of the game.
Wake stretched out the lead with five more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Brooks drove in Ocheltree with a single to center. A sacrifice fly to center field by Murray scored Stadler to make the score 10-4. Woodall cleared the bases with a line-drive home run over the right-field fence to extend the Demon Deacon advantage to 13-4.
The Deacs added another run in the sixth inning on Micah Jarrett's one-out RBI single to center field to score Ocheltree.
USC Upstate trimmed the lead with two runs in the seventh. Morgan doubled to right-center field to score Guillen and Tanner to cut the lead to 14-6.
Wake Forest made the lead 18-6 with four two-out runs in the bottom of the seventh. Lopez doubled to left-center field to plate Semeniuk and Smith. Lopez came across on an RBI single by Ocheltree. Ocheltree scored when Brooks singled through the right side of the infield.
The Spartans got back in the game with eight runs in the top of the eighth. Simpson singled to left field to score Jeff Medley. An RBI single from Guillen scored Liput. Simpson scored on a fielding error by Hood at shortstop. A three-run home run from Morgan cut the lead to 18-12. A sacrifice fly to left field by Liput scored Stickley for USC Upstate's 13th run of the game. A walk to Guillen scored Wilkins for the final run of the inning.
The Deacs responded with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Tomkins hit a one-out home run to left-center field. A double to right-center field by Ocheltree scored Ryan Lloyd for the 20th run of the game for Wake Forest.
Wake Forest returns to action on Wednesday, April 8, when it plays host to No. 24 Coastal Carolina. The Demon Deacons will send freshman righty Michael Dimock (3-1, 6.16) to the mound, while the Chanticleers will counter with RHP Bobby Gagg (3-2, 3.79). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. (ET) and an audio broadcast of the game will be available on WakeForestSports.com.
