Wake Forest University
Charlotte
Charlotte Rallies to Defeat Wake Forest, 6-4
4/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 20, 2010
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Charlotte used a three-run eighth inning, capped by a go-ahead, two-run home run from Zane Williams, to rally for a 6-4 win over Wake Forest on Tuesday night at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium.
Wake Forest falls to 10-29 on the season with the loss, while Charlotte improves to 26-8 and extends its home winning streak to 16 straight games.
Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Charlotte regained the lead with three runs. Kevin Gillespie walked to start the inning. Ryan Rivers followed with a double down the left field line to score Gillespie all the way from first as he slid in just ahead of the tag from Murray at the plate. Rivers moved to third on the throw home. After Mike Perkins struck out swinging for the first out of the inning, Williams put the 49ers back in front with a two-run home run over the wall in left-center field.
Wake Forest was able to get the tying runs on base in the top of the ninth, but couldn't bring any across the plate. With one out, Carlos Lopez drew a walk and pinch runner John Stamper moved to second on a single to left field by Shane Kroker. Mark Rhine flied out to left field for the second out of the inning. Ryan Semeniuk flew out to deep center field to end the game.
Patrick Lawson (2-0) earned the win in relief for Charlotte, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings and giving up a hit with two strikeouts. Wake Forest starter Michael Dimock (1-7) suffered the loss, giving up five runs on nine hits with five punchouts in 7.0 innings of work.
Kroker and Mac Williamson led the Deacs at the plate with two hits and an RBI each. Ryan Lloyd and Mike Murray also each drove in a run.
Steven Brooks went 1-for-4 with a run scored and also stole his ACC-leading 22nd base of the season. The steal was the 48th of his career, moving him into a tie for ninth in career stolen bases in Wake Forest history.
Williams was the offensive star for the 49ers, hitting his eighth home run of the season and going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Shane Brown added three hits, while Rivers was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Charlotte got on the scoreboard first, scoring a run in the bottom of the first. Cory Tilton led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a groundout to first off the bat of Justin Wilson. Corey Shaylor singled through the left side of the infield to score Tilton from second.
The 49ers extended their lead with a run in the bottom of the third. Wilson started the inning with a single and moved to second on a stolen base with one out. A line out to right field by Gillespie advanced Wilson to third. Rivers was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners with two outs. Perkins singled past a diving Matt Conway at first base to score Wilson from third to make the score 2-0.
Charlotte plated a run in the bottom of the fourth to extend its lead to 3-0. Brown started the inning with a soft liner up the middle for a single. Brown raced around to third on a bloop single to center field by Justin Roland. Dimock picked off Roland at first for the first out of the inning. A sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of Tilton scored Brown from third.
Wake Forest scored its first runs of the game in the top of the fifth, cutting the 49er lead to 3-2. Williamson led off the inning with a double over the center fielder's head. Conway drew a walk to put runners at first and second. Pat Blair struck out for the first out of the inning, but on the third strike Williamson and Conway each moved up a base on a successful double steal attempt. Lloyd drove home the first run of the inning, scoring Williamson from third on a groundout to first. Kroker reached on an infield single to second to bring home Conway.
The Demon Deacons took their first lead of the game with two runs in the top of the sixth. Semeniuk and Brooks opened the inning with consecutive singles. Both Semeniuk and Brooks moved into scoring position with a double steal. A sacrifice fly to left field by Murray scored Semeniuk to tie the game at three. Williamson grounded out to second to plate Brooks and put the Deacs in front 4-3. Conway doubled to the gap in right-center field and Blair reached on a walk to put runners at first and second. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Lopez also drew a base on balls to load the bases. Kroker grounded into a fielder's choice to short to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.
Wake Forest returns home on Wednesday to host UNC Greensboro. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Senior LHP Alex Wiesner (0-1, 7.20) will start for the Demon Deacons, while the Spartans are scheduled to throw sophomore RHP Matt Parish (1-1, 8.27).
For all of the latest information on Wake Forest baseball, please log on to www.WakeForestSports.com or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account @WFUBaseball or www.twitter.com/WFUBaseball.
