Wake Forest University
Elon
Lopez Homers Twice in Deacs 13-4 Win over Elon
4/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 26, 2011
Final Stats | Final Stats (PDF) 
ELON, N.C. - Carlos Lopez hit a pair of three-run home runs, and the Wake Forest offense had its best performance of the season in a 13-4 road victory over Elon at Latham Park.
The Demon Deacons are now 17-25 on the season, while Elon falls to 26-17.
Lopez was 3-for-5 on the night with two home runs, a single, six RBIs and two runs scored. This marks his sixth three-hit game of the season, third multi-home run game of the season and fifth multi-home run game of his career.
His six RBIs tie a career-high, and he is first Demon Deacon to reach that total since Mac Williamson and Matt Conway both did so against UNC Greensboro on May 12 of last season.
Lopez was not the only Wake Forest batter making noise against the Phoenix, as the Deacs had a season-high 13 runs on a season-high 15 hits.
Pat Blair, Steven Brooks and James Harris all had two hits apiece, while Conor Keniry, Williamson, Charlie Morgan, Conway, Trenton Langston and Zane Yanzick each had one hit.
Brooks also went yard against Elon, as he added a three-run home run of his own in the eighth inning. Morgan was 1-for-4 on the night and walked twice, scoring a team-high three runs.
Perhaps overshadowed by the offensive outburst, Zach White put together an excellent start and earned the victory to improve to 2-4. White pitched a career-high 6.0 innings and struck out four batters while only allowing four hits and one earned run. Elon starter Grant McCoury suffered the loss and is now 1-1.
White retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced, and he set the Phoenix down in order in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Wake Forest got the scoring underway in the top of the second, sending eight batters to the plate and scoring four runs.
Williamson began the rally with a single into right center field and moved to second after Morgan walked on four straight pitches. Two batters later, Lopez blasted his seventh home run of the season over the left center field wall to give the Deacons a 3-0 lead.
The rally continued as Harris took the very next pitch down the left field line for a double. Blair was up two batters later and singled him home to give Wake a 4-0 advantage.
Elon appeared to be getting its first run on the board in the bottom of the second with two away. Harry Austin singled into right field and Sebastian Gomez tried to score from second, but Harris threw a bullet to Armour at the plate who made the tag for the final out of the inning.
The Phoenix did get on the board in the bottom of the third to make the score 4-1. Wake Forest slowly built the lead with one run in both the fifth and seventh innings before getting six in the top of the eighth.
With two outs in the fifth, Morgan reached on an error, Conway singled and Lopez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Harris drove in a run when he singled up the middle and made the score 5-1.
Wake Forest then went up 6-1 in the seventh after another two-out rally. Brett Armour and Jack Fischer were both hit by pitches to get things started. Keniry made Elon pay with a single to center field that scored Armour from second base.
Lopez and Brooks each hit a three-run bomb in the eighth to break the game open. Morgan and Conway each walked to get on base for Lopez before Harris walked and Fischer got hit by another pitch to put runners on for Brooks.
His second homer of the game was number eight for Lopez, and Brooks now has four this season.
Wake Forest and Elon will take the diamond one more time tomorrow when they play at 6 p.m. at Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park.
