Wake Forest University
2-3
Quinnipiac
1-2
No. 20 Deacs Strike Out 17 in Loss to Quinnipiac
2/23/2019 10:22:00 PM | Baseball
Relievers Antonio Menendez and Shane Muntz combined to punch out 13 Bobcats over the final 6.0 innings.
The Bobcats (1-2) jumped out to leads of 4-0 and 8-3 and the Demon Deacons (2-3), despite scoring the final three runs of the game, were unable to come all the way back.
Relievers Antonio Menendez and Shane Muntz kept the Deacs in the game, striking out 13 over the final 6.0 innings as Wake Forest pitchers struck out 17 total batters. Menendez allowed two hits and no walks over 3.0 shutout frames with six strikeouts, while Muntz conceded one run on three hits and two walks over 3.0 innings with seven strikeouts.
"We've got to quit playing from behind. Their starting pitcher struck out 12 and walked two, and I don't know how that happens, quite honestly," head coach Tom Walter said. "We just need to play better baseball on both sides of the ball."
Jake Mueller, Michael Ludowig and Chris Lanzilli led the offensive effort with two hits apiece.
Wake Forest starter Morgan McSweeney was unable to get out of the first inning as the Bobcats strung together six-consecutive singles to take a 4-0 lead in the opening inning.
The Deacs bounced back with four singles of their own in the bottom of the inning, including RBI hits from Lanzilli and DJ Poteet, to cut the deficit to 4-3.
The Bobcats, though, tacked on a run in the second and two in the third to make the score 7-3 and added another run in the top of the seventh to push the margin to 8-3.
After the first inning, QU starter Tyler Poulin kept the Deacs off the board until the seventh, when he was removed after allowing four runs on five hits and two walks with 12 strikeouts in 6.1 innings as he earned the win.
Ludowig hit a bases-loaded single with one out in the seventh to cut the margin to 8-4, but a popout and flyout left the potential tying run at the plate.
The Deacs again loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. After a strikeout, Mueller delivered a two-run single to cut the deficit in half to 8-6. Matthew Draper recorded the final out of the inning for Quinnipiac and tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn the save.
Wake Forest and Quinnipiac are back in action at noon Sunday. Quinnipiac and Elon then play at 3:30, followed by Wake Forest against Elon at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tyler Poulin (1-1)
L: McSweeney, Morgan (1-1)
S: Matthew Draper (1)
Batting:
2B: Liam Scafariello 1 ; Kevin Huscher 1
RBI: Kyle Maves 2 ; Evan Vulgamore 1 ; Brian Moskey 1 ; Ian Ostberg 1 ; Kevin Huscher 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Liam Scafariello 2 ; Dylan Lutz 1 ; Evan Vulgamore 1 ; Andre Marrero 1 ; Brian Moskey 1 ; Ian Ostberg 1 ; Anthony Cruz 1
SB: Liam Scafariello 1
Batting:
RBI: Mueller, Jake 2 ; Ludowig, Michael 1 ; Lanzilli, Chris 1 ; Poteet, DJ 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mueller, Jake 1 ; Ludowig, Michael 1 ; Lanzilli, Chris 1 ; Poteet, DJ 1 ; Frick, Patrick 1 ; Harvey, Logan 1
SB: Lanzilli, Chris 1
