Wake Forest University
Marshall
Demon Deacons Hold Off Marshall, 6-5
2/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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By Jay Garneau, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeBaseball)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Marshall had the potential tying run 90 feet away, but Will Craig closed the door and Wake Forest hung on to earn a 6-5 victory at Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park on Saturday evening.
With the Thundering Herd (4-6) trailing by one and runners on first and second, Craig earned a 3-pitch strikeout for the second out. Josh King was hit by a pitch to end a 9-pitch at bat. Craig responded by forcing a chopper up the middle, which Bruce Steel fielded and then stepped on second to close out the Wake Forest (6-4) victory.
In addition to earning his first-career save, Craig was also one of the offensive heroes. He finished 2-for-4 with a third-inning 3-run double to clear the bases giving the Demon Deacons a 3-1 lead.
Marshall fought back, scoring a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to retake a 4-3 advantage.
Wake Forest plated three more runs in the sixth to reclaim the lead for good. A Stuart Fairchild double knocked in Craig, before Fairchild scored on a Joe Napolitano RBI single. Steel capped off the scoring with an RBI single to center to bring home Napolitano.
The Herd got one back in the ninth before the Deacs sealed the victory.
Matt Pirro became the second Deacon of the weekend to improve to 3-0, as teammate Parker Dunshee did so on Friday. Pirro allowed four runs, two of them earned, in 6.0 innings, also striking out seven batters.
John McCarren also excelled in the set-up role, throwing two scoreless frames without relenting a hit.
Callaway Kirkpatrick (0-2) took the loss for Marshall, allowing six earned runs in 5.2 innings. Marshall was led offensively by Ryne Dean, who finished 1-for-2 with a homer and two walks.
CRAIG SETTLING IN
• Will Craig is now hitting a team-best .441 this season, and has RBIs in six of the last seven games.
• He ranks atop the ACC and among national leaders with 15 RBIs in 10 games.
• Craig has also looked comfortable on the mound, holding a 1.50 ERA in 6.0 innings of work with a save.
ONE-TWO PUNCH
• Through the first three weekends of play, Parker Dunshee and Matt Pirro have combined for a 6-0 record and 0.74 ERA.
• They have also combined for 51 strikeouts in just 36.1 innings. Dunshee leads the league in strikeouts as of the start of the day.
ON DECK
• Wake Forest is slated to play a doubleheader tomorrow, with games scheduled against Towson at 11:30 a.m. and Marshall at 3 p.m.
