Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Elon
No. 20 Deacons Take Down Elon, 13-1
4/12/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Final Stats | Final Stats (PDF) 
Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeBaseball)
ELON, N.C. -- A big inning once again broke the game open as No. 20 Wake Forest claimed a 13-1 victory over Elon at Latham Park on Wednesday night.
The Demon Deacons (25-10) and Phoenix (16-18) agreed prior to the game to use a 10-run rule after seven innings, which Wake Forest surpassed with three seventh-inning runs. The Deacs led 2-1 after four innings, but Wake Forest plated six in the fifth to break the game open.
Colin Peluse, John McCarren, Rhyse Dee and Morgan McSweeney combined to three-hit Elon, striking out 11 batters over the seven innings of work.
Offensively, five Deacs posted multi-RBI efforts: Stuart Fairchild (2-for-5, three RBIs), Ben Breazeale (2-for-4, double, two RBIs), Gavin Sheets (1-for-3, three RBIs), Logan Harvey (1-for-3, double, two RBIs) and Jake Mueller (1-for-4, two RBIs).
Wake Forest hitters drew a total of nine walks, including two apiece from Bruce Steel and Keegan Maronpot.
Peluse started for the Deacons and surrendered one run on two hits in 4.0 innings, striking out a career-high five batters.
McCarren struck out a pair in a perfect fifth inning to earn the win and improve to 3-3. Dee struck out one in a scoreless inning, and McSweeney struck out the side to close out the game.
The Deacs got on the board in the third on a Mueller RBI groundout and Fairchild RBI single, taking a 2-0 advantage. The Phoenix cut that margin in half on a James Venuto solo homer in the fourth.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, Sheets drove a 1-2 pitch through the left side for a two-run single. Breazeale followed that with a two-run double and Harvey added a two-run two-bagger of his own as the Deacs scored all six runs with two outs to make the lead 8-1.
After Fairchild and Sheets recorded RBIs in the sixth to make the score 10-1, Nick DiPonzio roped a pinch-hit RBI double, then Mueller and Fairchild added RBIs to close out the scoring.
MIDWEEK MASHING
• Wake Forest has scored at least 13 runs in eight of its nine midweek games.
• The Deacs are a perfect 9-0 in midweek contests this season.
FASTEST TO 25
• Wake Forest picked up its 25th victory of the year in its 35th game.
• That's the fastest the Deacons have reached 25 wins since doing so in 31 games in 2002, also the last time hosting an NCAA Regional.
ON DECK
• Wake Forest returns home for a three-game ACC series this weekend, welcoming Notre Dame to Winston-Salem.
