Deacs Shutout Blue Devils 11-0 to Claim Series-Opening Victory

DURHAM, N.C. - Wake Forest claimed a shutout, series-opening victory over Duke by a final score of 11-0 behind a seven-inning start from Ryan Cusick on the mound and a pair of home runs from the junior duo of Shane Muntz and Bobby Seymour.

The Deacs (12-15, 6-12 ACC) blanked the Blue Devils (14-16, 6-13 ACC) behind Cusick's best performance of the season as the sophomore fanned 11 batters, his fourth double-digit strikeout game of 2021, while only allowing four hits. The Sudbury, Mass. native didn't allow more than one hit in any inning and threw a pair of strikeouts in four separate frames. Brennen Oxford and Teddy McGraw finished the job over the next two frames, highlighted by Oxford's three strikeouts over 1.2 innings.

Eight of Wake Forest's 11 runs came in the sixth and seventh innings, highlighted by a three-run shot from Muntz and a Seymour grand slam. Both HRs marked the seventh of their junior campaigns.

Lucas Costello extended his hitting streak to a team-best 14 games with three hits, in addition to two runs scored and an RBI. Chris Lanzilli also recorded a trio of base knocks, inclduing a RBI-double in the top of the ninth. Pierce Bennett was the fourth Demon Deacon with a multi-hit performance, joining Seymour with two hits.

Brock Wilken and Muntz both walked twice as Wake Forest recorded seven base on balls in the contest.

How It Happened

Michael Turconi reached second base with one out thanks to a stolen base following a passed ball on a strikeout, but the next two Deacs were retired to end the opening half of the inning.
Ryan Cusick struck out a pair of Blue Devils in the bottom half of the inning to keep it a scoreless game.
Chris Lanzilli knocked in Wake Forest's first hit of the game in the top of the second. Shane Muntz was walked to place a pair of Deacs on base with no one out. Duke sat down the next trio of batters to get out of the inning.
Cusick fanned another pair of Blue Devils in the second frame as the contest remained scoreless.
- Duke picked up their first hit of the night with two outs and a runner on first after a walk.
After Wake Forest was retired in order, the Blue Devils placed a base runner on third after a single, a stolen base and a passed ball. Cusick struck out his fifth batter of the game to end the scoring threat and the inning.
Bobby Seymour dropped in a base knock to right field to open the fourth. After a fielder's choice, the Blue Devils picked off a base runner at first and induced a strikeout to end the frame.
Cusick tossed another two-strikeout inning in the bottom half, upping his total to seven for the game.
- The Blue Devils recorded a base hit and stole second to put a runner in scoring position for the third-straight inning, but Cusick responded with his second strikeout to keep it a scoreless contest.
The Deacs were retired in order in the top of the fifth.
Wake Forest ended Duke's first real threat of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning as Duke placed runners on first and second with one out. Cusick picked off the base runner at second base for the second out. The third out came after the runner got caught in a pickle following a throw to Seymour at first, who then tossed the ball to Pierce Bennett who applied the tag for the third and final out.
The Deacs scored the first runs of the game and got out to a 4-0 lead after four runs in the sixth, highlighted by a three-run home run by Shane Muntz.
- Wake Forest broke the tie after Lucas Costello scored from second following an infield single by Lanzilli and a fielding error. Muntz's home run came directly after Lanzilli's at-bat.
Cusick tossed a perfect sixth, highlighted by his ninth strikeout of the game.
Bobby Seymour smacked a grand slam with one out in the seventh inning to increase Wake Forest's lead to 8-0.
- The Deacs loaded the bases after a Costello walk, a sac bunt by Michael Turconi and an intentional walk to Brock Wilken.
- Bennett led off the inning with a single, but was out at third after the bunt.
Cusick pitched back-to-back K's to conclude the frame, upping his total to 11 for the game. The right-hander induced a ground out to the leadoff batter for the first out of the inning.
Costello knocked in his second base hit in the eighth, but nothing was doing for the Deacs as they held on to their 9-0 lead.
Brennen Oxford replaced Cusick on the mound and continued the shutout with a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the frame.
Wake Forest added a trio of runs to increase their lead to 11-0 behind a RBI-double from Lanzilli and RBIs from Brendan Tinsman and Costello.
- Lanzilli's third hit of the game landed off the left field wall and scored Wilken, who walked to open the inning.
Oxford came back out on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, recording the first two outs of the inning with a strikeout and fly out. Teddy McGraw took over and induced a fly out to secure the 11-0 victory.

In the Spotlight
Following a 12-0 victory against App State on Tuesday night, Wake Forest pitched back-to-back shutouts for the first time since April 12-13, 2018 against Boston College.

In the two victories, the Deacs have only allowed eight hits and struck out 25 batters.

Bobby Seymour's seventh inning grand slam was his fourth home run in the last three games as the junior hit two balls out of David F. Couch Ballpark in the series finale against Virginia Tech on April 11, followed by a solo shot against Appalachian State on April 13.

Seymour is now just five hits away from becoming the 28th Demon Deacon to tally 200 hits over the course of their collegiate career.

Words from Walter
"Ryan Cusick was awesome tonight. A huge momentum play in the game was when Pierce Bennett caught an inside turn and we picked a guy off at second base. But Ryan had his good stuff. We knew from the first inning he was throwing his curveball for strikes, and he actually got his change up going today, so he had three pitches today and got some first pitch outs.

"Obviously offensively, we didn't do a whole lot early, but got a big home runs from Shane Muntz and Bobby Seymour, so we did just enough. Always good to get a Friday win without burning your best bullpen pieces, so it puts you in good shape for the rest of the series for sure."

On Deck
Wake Forest continues the Big Four series on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. against the Blue Devils on ACC Network Extra. The finale will take place on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. inside the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

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Deacs Shutout Blue Devils 11-0 to Claim Series-Opening Victory

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Team Stats

Lucas Costello

Bobby Seymour

Chris Lanzilli

Pierce Bennett

Players Mentioned

Pierce Bennett

Lucas Costello

Ryan Cusick

Chris Lanzilli

Teddy McGraw

Shane Muntz

Brennen Oxford

Bobby Seymour

Brendan Tinsman

Michael Turconi

Brock Wilken

Players Mentioned

Pierce Bennett

Lucas Costello

Ryan Cusick

Chris Lanzilli

Teddy McGraw

Shane Muntz

Brennen Oxford

Bobby Seymour

Brendan Tinsman

Michael Turconi

Brock Wilken

Wake Forest Athletics