Wake Forest University
Duke
Wake Forest Topples Duke, 18-3, to Even Series
4/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 24, 2010
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| Updated Season Stats
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest starting pitcher Austin Stadler gave up just two runs in 6.2 innings, while Mike Murray and Ryan Semeniuk each added four RBIs to lift the Demon Deacons to an 18-3 win on a rainy Saturday night at Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park.
With the win, the Demon Deacons snap a 10-game losing streak and improve to 11-31 on the season and 3-17 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Duke falls to 23-17 on the year and 7-13 in league play.
The Deacs jumped on the Duke pitching staff from the start of the game, scoring in each of the first four innings, including seven runs in the first two frames. Wake finished the game with a season-high 18 runs and the most for the Demon Deacons in an ACC game since May 24, 2005, when Wake Forest defeated Maryland 20-13.
Murray and Semeniuk led the way for the Deacs at the plate with four RBIs each. Semeniuk had three hits, including his team-high seventh home run of the season, while Murray went 2-for-4 in the contest. Pat Blair added three hits with four runs scored, while Matt Conway also had three hits. Mike Lubanski added his first collegiate home run as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. Steven Brooks extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a hit and two RBIs. Carlos Lopez also homered, his fifth of the season.
Jake Lemmerman paced Duke at the plate with three hits and an RBI. Will Piwnica-Worms added a pair of hits and an RBI, while Eric Brady also had two hits.
Stadler improved his record to 2-3 on the season, earning the win on the mound. The sophomore southpaw gave up just two runs, only one of which was earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Duke starter Chase Bebout suffered the loss to fall to 4-2 on the season. Bebout gave up seven runs on five hits in 2.0 innings of work.
Wake Forest reliever Zach White finished the game, giving up an unearned run on two hits with a strikeout in 2.1 innings.
Wake Forest grabbed an early lead with three runs in the top of the first. Blair led off the inning with a single to left field and moved to third on a double by Semeniuk that one-hopped the left field wall. Brooks walked to load the bases. Murray drove home Blair and Semeniuk and Brooks moved to third on a single to right field. Mac Williamson struck out and Conway popped out to the first baseman for the first two outs of the inning. With Lopez at the plate, Murray attempted to steal second base. The throw by the Duke catcher to the second baseman was high, allowing Brooks to score from third. Murray was caught in a rundown and was retired to end the inning.
Duke had a chance to get on the board in the top of the second, but a double play with the bases loaded ended the threat. Will Currier started the inning with a walk and moved to second when Piwnica-Worms reached on an infield single that hit off Stadler's leg and rolled toward first base. Brady singled to left field to put a runner on every base. Dennis O'Grady hit a soft liner to Conway at first. Conway threw to Blair at second for the second out of the inning and Blair threw to Taylor Kaprive at third to complete the double play before Currier could score from third base.
The Demon Deacons extended their lead with four runs in the bottom of the second. Lopez was hit by a pitch to start the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kaprive. Mark Rhine walked to put runners on first and second. Blair doubled to the left-center field gap to score Lopez and advance Rhine to third. Semeniuk cleared the bases with a three-run home run, his seventh of the season, over the left field wall to put Wake in front 7-0.
Wake Forest added another run in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Lopez hit his fifth home run of the season, a solo shot over the left field fence.
The Blue Devils got on the board with a run in the top of the fourth. With one out, Piwnica-Worms homered to left field for his third home run of the season to cut the Demon Deacon lead to 8-1.
The Deacs got the run back in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Blair doubled to left field. After Semeniuk struck out swinging for the second out of the inning, Brooks singled to right field, scoring Blair.
Wake Forest plated two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Blair walked with one out and moved to third on a single to left-center field by Semeniuk. Brooks struck out swinging for the second out of the inning. Murray singled through the right side to score Blair for his third RBI of the game and move Semeniuk to third. A wild pitch scored Semeniuk for the 11th Wake Forest run of the game.
Duke cut a run off the lead in the top of the seventh. Marcus Stroman advanced to second on a fielding error by Rhine. With one out, O'Grady singled to left field to move Stroman to third. Ryan McCurdy scored Stroman with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Wake Forest scored four more times in the bottom of the seventh. Conway led off the inning with a double inside the third-base bag and down the left field line. Lopez was hit by a pitch and Kaprive walked to load the bases. Rhine reached on an infield single to score Conway. After Blair struck out looking, Semeniuk and Brooks drew back-to-back bases loaded walks to make the score 14-2. Murray's sacrifice fly to right field scored Rhine.
The Deacs continued the onslaught in the bottom of the eighth with three runs. Conway started the inning with a double to right center. Casey Wadkins reached on a fielding error by the Duke second baseman, with Conway scoring on the play. With one out, Lubanski hit his first collegiate home run, a two-run blast to left-center field.
Duke closed the scoring with a run in the top of the ninth. Jeff Kremer singled with one out and moved to second on a single by Jonathan Foreman. Ryan Munger reached on a two-out throwing error by Kaprive to load the bases. A walk to Lemmerman scored Kremer to make the final score 18-3.
The series concludes on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET). Sophomore RHP Michael Dimock (1-7, 6.88) will start the series finale for Wake Forest, while the Blue Devils will counter with junior RHP Dennis O'Grady (0-2, 4.68).
