Wake Forest University
3-1
Illinois
1-2
No. 18 Deacs Top Illinois, 5-3, to Close Opening Weekend
2/16/2020 5:05:00 PM | Baseball
William Simoneit went 2-for-3 with a home run, while relievers Tyler Witt and Shane Smith combined for 3.0 perfect innings out of the pen.
The Demon Deacons (3-1) received solid pitching from all three pitchers used: William Fleming, Tyler Witt and Shane Smith.
Fleming earned the win, striking out a career-high eight batters over 6.0 innings. He surrendered three runs on four hits, a walk and three hit batters.
Witt and Smith combined to not allow a baserunner over the final 3.0 innings. Witt struck out three over 2.0 shutout frames, while Smith pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his first-career save.
"I thought Will Fleming was okay today. He got away from his delivery a few times early in the game," head coach Tom Walter said. "He settled down and did a great job and gave us a chance to win. Then, our bullpen was fantastic...those guys were outstanding."
William SImoneit led the way at the plate, going 2-for-3 with his first Wake Forest home run and a pair of RBIs. Chris Lanzilli added his third home run in as many days and Michael Turconi hit an RBI single for his seventh RBI of the weekend.
The Fighting Illini (1-2) took a 1-0 first-inning lead when Taylor Jackson hit the first pitch of the game over the left-field wall. Wake responded in the second inning, with a run scoring on a passed ball and two more on Simoneit's blast, pushing the Deacs ahead, 3-1.
Nathan Aide hit a two-run single in the third to tie the game, but Wake Forest took the lead for good in the fifth on Turconi's run-scoring single, and Lanzilli's solo shot in the eighth provided a valuable insurance run.
Wake Forest remains at home on Tuesday, playing host to UNCG at 4 p.m. on ACCNX.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fleming, William (1-0)
L: Maldonado,Aidan (0-1)
S: Smith, Shane (1)
Batting:
HR: Jackson,Taylor 1
RBI: Jackson,Taylor 1 ; Aide,Nathan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson,Taylor 1 ; Campbell,Jacob 1 ; Harding,Brody 1
SB: Doligale,Danny 1
HBP: Comia,Branden 1 ; Sarver,Kellen 1 ; Campbell,Jacob 1
Batting:
2B: Seymour, Bobby 1 ; Tinsman, Brendan 1
HR: Lanzilli, Chris 1 ; Simoneit, William 1
RBI: Turconi, Michael 1 ; Lanzilli, Chris 1 ; Simoneit, William 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Lanzilli, Chris 1 ; Seymour, Bobby 1 ; Ludowig, Michael 1 ; Tinsman, Brendan 1 ; Simoneit, William 1
SB: Crum, Derek 1
