Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Duke
Deacs Take Down Duke in Extras, 3-2
3/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Final Stats | Final Stats (PDF) 
Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeBaseball)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Nate Mondou scored on a 10th-inning wild pitch to give Wake Forest a 3-2 walk-off victory over Duke on Saturday at David F. Couch Ballpark.
With the win, the Demon Deacons (16-9, 4-4 ACC) secured their first series win of the ACC season. It was also their second walk-off win of the homestand, as they also beat Charlotte in the ninth on Tuesday.
After trailing 2-1 for most of the evening, Will Craig delivered a leadoff bomb in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 2-2.
Both teams were held scoreless in the ninth, but Mondou led off the bottom of the 10th with a sharp single up the middle. Craig followed with a walk before Drew Freedman entered the game and delivered a perfect sacrifice bunt to put the winning run in scoring position.
The Blue Devils (10-13, 1-7 ACC) opted to walk Stuart Fairchild to load the bases and bring up Gavin Sheets. However, Duke reliever Nick Hendrix (1-2) uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Mondou to race home for the winning run.
The Blue Devils threatened in the ninth and tenth, getting the go-ahead run into scoring position, but both times Donnie Sellers pitched out of the jam.
Right-hander Connor Johnstone posted his best start of the season, tossing 7.0 innings, while allowing two runs (one earned) without a walk.
In his second game back in the lineup for the Deacs, Craig reached base four times, drawing three walks in addition to his team-leading eighth home run.
On the season, Wake Forest is now 14-4 with Craig in the lineup, compared to just 2-5 without him.
Aiding Craig at the plate for the Deacons was Johnny Aiello, who recorded his second straight multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with a run scored. Leadoff man Jonathan Pryor was also productive, reaching base three times with two hits and a walk.
The bullpen was stellar once again, as Chris Farish struck out three over 1.1 scoreless innings, and Sellers (4-1) fired 1.2 shutout frames to earn his fourth win of the season, which is tied for the team lead with Parker Dunshee.
Duke scored its only two runs of the game in the second and third innings on an RBI fielder's choice and an RBI groundout.
The Deacs scored their first run in the bottom of the third on a Joey Rodriguez RBI single that brought home Aiello.
Up next, Wake Forest will battle for its first ACC series sweep since March of 2014 (Notre Dame) on Sunday at 1 p.m. at David F. Couch Ballpark.
