Wake Forest University
9-10, 4-8
Louisville
17-7, 9-3
No. 5 Louisville Takes First Game of Series Versus Wake Forest
4/2/2021 10:33:00 PM | Baseball
The teams return to the diamond at 1:00 p.m. Saturday for game two.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Demon Deacons fell by a final score of 5-3 to No. 5 Louisville Friday night in the first of three games between the teams at Jim Patterson Stadium.
Six Wake Forest (9-10, 4-8 ACC) batters knocked in a hit in the series opener, highlighted by Shane Muntz's fourth home run of the season and Michael Ludowig's fourth-straight multi-hit game. Brock Wilken reached base in his first three at-bats, recording a single and a pair of walks.
Ryan Cusick suffered his first loss in 2021 as the sophomore right-hander tossed 5.1 innings and struck out four batters. Brennen Oxford replaced Cusick and found his groove early as the lefty retired six of the first seven batters he faced. Crawford Wade was the third and final Deacon arm to take the mound, forcing a double play with the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the eighth.
The Deacs started out hot, tallying three hits and a fielder's choice in the opening inning, highlighted by a Bobby Seymour RBI single to take a 1-0 lead.
Louisville (17-7, 9-3 ACC) responded, plating five unanswered before Muntz's two-run shot ended the run, which was ultimately enough to take the victory.
How It Happened
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Wake Forest got out to a 1-0 lead thanks to three hits and a fielder's choice in the opening half of the inning.
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Bobby Seymour knocked an RBI single with two outs to bring home Michael Turconi from second.
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Ryan Cusick made his fifth start of the season and pitched a perfect frame to open the contest, including fanning his first batter.
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Michael Ludowig continued his tear at the plate, hitting a ball to center field and advancing all the way to third after a fielding error with two outs. Nothing was doing for Wake Forest as a strikeout ended the inning the very next batter.
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Louisville took a 2-1 lead in the second after placing runners on third and second with no one out. Cusick retired the next trio of Cardinals, including two-straight ground ball outs.
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The Deacs loaded the bases in the third with two out, but were unable to add a run.
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Michael Turconi singled up the middle, Brock Wilken was walked (second time reaching base after a base knock in the first) and Chris Lanzilli reached on a fielding error.
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Cusick allowed a leadoff single, but responded with three consecutive outs, highlighted by a ground ball double play, to keep the score 2-1.
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The Cardinals added to their lead (4-1) in the fourth, adding a pair of runs off four hits. Both runs came off a RBI single up the middle.
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Wilken reached base for the third time in the game after being walked in consecutive at-bats.
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Louisville knocked out a solo home run to increase their lead to 5-1 in the fifth.
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In the top of the sixth, Shane Muntz smashed a two-run shot over the left field wall to chip into Louisville's lead (5-3).
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The homer scored Lanzilli, who recorded a leadoff walk and marked the fourth of Muntz's season.
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Cuisck struck out the last batter he faced in the sixth (fourth of the night). Brennen Oxford replaced the sophomore on the mound and put away the first two batters he faced (strike out and ground out).
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Wake Forest went down in order in the top of the seventh as the game remained a 5-3 contest.
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Oxford continued to work quickly in the seventh, forcing a fly out and a pop up to the first Cardinals he faced. After allowing a single, the lefty induced a pop up to get out of the inning as the scored remained 5-3.
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Louisville loaded the bases with one out in the eighth after a bunt single, intentional walk and hit by pitch. Crawford ended the inning with only one pitch after a line out to Parker Pilat and a force out at second.
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Nothing was doing for the Deacs as they went down in order in the ninth and Louisville claimed a 5-3 victory.
Words from Walter
"Obviously a tough loss. Just didn't get enough going offensively. We had their guy on the ropes a couple times in early bases loaded situations, first and second situations with the right guys up and just didn't get a big at-bat when we needed it.
Again, we should have got their guy out sooner than the sixth inning. He was at about 80 pitches after four, and we let him get those last two innings on us which we can't do. We've got to get him out of the game sooner than that. Then their bullpen came in and got nine up, nine down. Obviously (Brennen) Oxford did a good job of keeping us right there, Crawford (Wade) came in and got a big double play. So a disappointing loss but we've got a rested and ready bullpen. We'll come back tomorrow ready to go."
On Deck
Wake Forest looks to even up the series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. on ACC Network Extra before taking on the Cardinals in the series finale on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. live on ESPN2.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Michael Kirian (5-0)
L: Cusick, Ryan (1-1)
S: Adam Elliott (2)
Batting:
HR: Muntz, Shane 1
RBI: Seymour, Bobby 1 ; Muntz, Shane 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Turconi, Michael 1 ; Lanzilli, Chris 1 ; Muntz, Shane 1
CS: Turconi, Michael 1
Batting:
2B: Lucas Dunn 1
HR: Henry Davis 1
RBI: Henry Davis 1 ; Trey Leonard 2 ; Cameron Masterman 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Henry Davis 1 ; Alex Binelas 1 ; Lucas Dunn 2 ; Trey Leonard 1
SB: Lucas Dunn 1 ; Trey Leonard 2 ; Tyeler Hawkins 1
CS: Alex Binelas 1
HBP: Levi Usher 1
