Wake Forest Drops Saturday Contest at Virginia

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Wake Forest dropped game two of their final road series of the 2021 regular season by a final score of 6-5 against Virginia on Saturday night at Disharoon Park in Charlottesville, Va.

In a back-and-forth game early, the Demon Deacons (17-25, 7-21 ACC) held a 5-4 advantage after three full innings of play thanks to a two-run home run and RBI-single from Chris Lanzilli and a two-RBI double from Adam Cecere.

After the Cavaliers (24-21, 15-17 ACC) knotted the game with a solo home run in the home half of the sixth, the teams remained deadlocked at five until the ninth inning when Virginia pushed across the winning run with a RBI-single up the middle.

Rhett Lowder started on the mound for the 11th time this season, striking out six batters in five innings while giving up four earned runs. Hunter Furtado, Teddy McGraw and Eric Adler were the final trio of Wake Forest arms to hit the mound. Adler and McGraw didn't allow an earned run while conceding one hit a piece. In McGraw's 1.1 innings, the freshman punched out a pair of Cavaliers.

In addition to Lanzilli's team-best 15th multi-hit game of the season, Michael Ludowig registered a pair of singles. Additionally, a trio of Deacs - Michael Turconi, Bobby Seymour and Cecere - each walked twice.

How It Happened

The teams traded perfect first innings on the mound to open the game, capped off by Rhett Lowder's first strikeout of the night for the third and final out in the bottom of the first.
Chris Lanzilli launched a two-run home run to left center field to give Wake Forest a 2-0 lead after the top of the second.
- Bobby Seymour scored on the HR after notching a leadoff walk.
- The Deacs placed two runners on the base with one out after the homer as Adam Cecere walked and Michael Ludowig singled through the left side. A double play ended the scoring threat.
The Cavaliers took hold of the lead with four runs in the home half of the second behind five hits and two errors.
- Lowder fanned the leadoff batter, his second of the game, for the first out of the inning.
- Ludowig threw a runner out trying to score from second base for the third and final out of the frame.
Wake Forest responded with three runs of their own to retake the lead (5-4) in the top of the third.
- A Chris Lanzilli single with the bases loaded scored Lucas Costello, followed by a two-RBI double from Adam Cecere that brought home the final pair of runs in the frame. Costello (leadoff double), Michael Turconi (walk) and Seymour (walk) were all were plated on the hits.
Lowder worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half of the inning to preserve the Demon Deacons' 5-4 advantage.
- He opened the third with another leadoff strikeout. The Cavaliers loaded the bases thanks to a fielding error, hit by pitch and walk. Lowder responded by fanning his fourth Cavalier of the game and forcing a fly out to Costello deep in center field.
Costello reached base with one out in the top of the fourth after a throwing error. Following a strike out, the freshman advanced to second on a wild pitch, but was stranded as a fly out to Virginia's first baseman in foul territory ended the scoring opportunity.
After allowing a leadoff walk, Lowder sat down three consecutive Cavaliers to get out of the inning unscathed.
- The Cavaliers stole second base following the walk.
Wake Forest placed two runners on the base with one out in the fifth as Seymour knocked in a leadoff single and Cecere walked. Following a Ludowig single through the left side, the Cavaliers threw out a Demon Deacon trying to second from second to end the inning.
Lowder tossed another perfect frame in the home half of the inning.
- The righty struck out his sixth batter for the second out.
The Deacs were unable to add to their 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth despite a leadoff single from Pierce Bennett.
Virginia tied the game at 5 with a solo home run with two outs in the home half of the inning.
- Hunter Furtado took over for Lowder and struck out a pair of Cavaliers in the first inning of action.
Teddy McGraw replaced Furtado with one out and a Cavalier on second in the bottom of the frame. The Cavaliers loaded the bases, but McGraw fanned a Cavalier for the third and final out to get out of the jam.
McGraw came out in the eighth and forced two outs to open the inning. After allowing a single, the Cavaliers stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Eric Adler replaced the freshman on the mound and induced a fly out to center field to keep the game tied.
With one out in the ninth, Turconi walked to give the Deacs the go-ahead run on base. Following a strike out, the Cavaliers caught Turconi trying to take second to move to end the inning.
The Cavaliers reached on a fielding error to open the ninth. After a pinch runner, Virginia moved to third following a stolen base and wild pitch. The Cavaliers singled up the middle to score the winning run and take game two by a final score of 6-5.

In the Spotlight
With his two-run blast tonight, Chris Lanzilli moved into eighth all-time in Wake Forest history for career home runs. His 42 career home runs are also tied for the third-most among active players in Division I
baseball.

Rhett Lowder also moved up in the Wake Forest record book as the Albemarle, N.C. native has thrown the third-most strikeouts (74) by a Demon Deacon freshman in program history.

Words From Walter
"Tough loss. We needed to find a way to score off their bullpen. Their bullpen came in and threw up 6.2 scoreless innings. Our defense wasn't quite good enough. We pitched well enough to win today. Their first five runs were with two outs and we need to find a way to get our team into the dugout in those situations. Bounce back and try and get a win tomorrow."

On Deck
Sunday's series finale is slated for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch and will be broadcasted live on ACC Network.

The Deacs will then travel to Myrtle Beach for their final road and midweek game of the 2021 regular season, squaring off with Coastal Carolina on Tuesday, May 18.

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Team Stats

Chris Lanzilli

Michael Ludowig

Lucas Costello

Bobby Seymour

Players Mentioned

Eric Adler

Pierce Bennett

Adam Cecere

Lucas Costello

Hunter Furtado

Chris Lanzilli

Rhett Lowder

Michael Ludowig

Teddy McGraw

Bobby Seymour

Michael Turconi

Players Mentioned

Eric Adler

Pierce Bennett

Adam Cecere

Lucas Costello

Hunter Furtado

Chris Lanzilli

Rhett Lowder

Michael Ludowig

Teddy McGraw

Bobby Seymour

Michael Turconi

Wake Forest Athletics