Wake Forest University
UNC-Wilmington
Deacons Drop Weekend Finale to UNCW, 8-4
2/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By Jay Garneau, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeBaseball)
WILMINGTON, N.C. - Despite a career game from Jonathan Pryor, Wake Forest dropped its weekend finale to UNC Wilmington by an 8-4 score at Brooks Field on Sunday evening.
Pryor earned his first-career home run and three-hit game to lead Wake Forest (4-3) offensively, finishing with a team-high two RBIs.
UNC Wilmington (6-0) capitalized on four Wake Forest walks in the fifth inning, with Kennard McDowell hitting a grand slam to put the game out of Wake Forest's reach.
Wake Forest scored in each of the first two innings. In the first, Pryor hit an RBI single to plate Joey Rodriguez.
After UNCW tied the game in the bottom of the inning, a well-executed safety squeeze by Bruce Steel brought home Stuart Fairchild.
The Deacons made the lead 3-1 in the fourth when Rodriguez drilled a double into the left-center gap, scoring Steel.
The Seahawks responded by scoring seven straight runs, including two in the fourth and five in the fifth to take control.
Pryor hit a no-doubter over the right-field wall in the seventh to keep Wake Forest alive, but the Deacs were held scoreless in their final two innings at-bat.
Chris Farish (0-1) suffered the loss for Wake Forest, while starter Evan Phillips (1-0) picked up the win for UNCW.
Aaron Fossas started for Wake Forest and allowed three runs, two of them earned, in 3.0 innings.
Donnie Sellers threw a scoreless inning in relief and Will Craig tossed two scoreless frames.
Wake Forest returns home for eight of the next nine games, beginning with a mid-week contest against Appalachian State on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
