Saturday, May 8
Winston-Salem, N.C.
7:00 PM
Wake Forest University
15-23
2
vs
5
Elon
17-18
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Elon
0
0
0
0
0
5
0
0
0
5
5
1
Wake Forest
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
10
1
Wake Forest Suffers Out-of-Conference Loss Against Elon
5/8/2021 10:25:00 PM | Baseball
The Deacs fanned 16 Phoenix batters on Saturday night.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forest struck out Elon batters for nearly two-thirds of their outs, but could not overcome a five-run sixth frame, falling to the Phoenix 5-2 at David F. Couch Ballpark on Saturday night.
The Deacs (15-23, 7-19 ACC) jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Phoenix (17-18, 8-7 CAA) in the second game of the home-and-home series, with runs scored by Bobby Seymour and Shane Muntz. Niine of the team's 10 hits came in the first five innings. Michael Turconi and Pierce Bennett led Wake Forest with two hits each.
Ryan Cusick started for the Deacs on the mound, striking out 11 batters in six innings of work while conceding five earned runs. His 11 K's marked his fifth double-digit outing this season, and the second time he fanned 11 batters in 2021. The Sudbury, Mass. native is now eight strikeouts away from 200 career strikeouts.
Reed Mascolo finished the game on the hill, striking out five Phoenix batters in the final three innings to keep Elon off the scoreboard.
How It Happened
"A disappointing loss with Ryan Cusick on the mound. He was cruising early, obviously ran into one bad inning. Offensively, we need to do a better job. We needed to score more than two runs and find a way to win that game. Unfortunately, we didn't. We've got to bounce back and play well tomorrow."
On Deck
Wake Forest caps off the weekend with a non-conference doubleheader against Belmont at The Couch. Both games will be broadcasted live on ACC Network Extra, with the first game slated for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch.
The Deacs head back on the road for their final four away games of the 2021 campaign, beginning with an ACC series against Virginia on May 14-16. The team will then play at Coastal Carolina on May 18th before finishing the regular season on May 20-22 against Pitt at David F. Couch Ballpark.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
The Deacs (15-23, 7-19 ACC) jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Phoenix (17-18, 8-7 CAA) in the second game of the home-and-home series, with runs scored by Bobby Seymour and Shane Muntz. Niine of the team's 10 hits came in the first five innings. Michael Turconi and Pierce Bennett led Wake Forest with two hits each.
Ryan Cusick started for the Deacs on the mound, striking out 11 batters in six innings of work while conceding five earned runs. His 11 K's marked his fifth double-digit outing this season, and the second time he fanned 11 batters in 2021. The Sudbury, Mass. native is now eight strikeouts away from 200 career strikeouts.
Reed Mascolo finished the game on the hill, striking out five Phoenix batters in the final three innings to keep Elon off the scoreboard.
How It Happened
- Ryan Cusick tossed a perfect opening frame, including one strikeout, to open the contest. The Deacs were set down in order in their first plate appearance as well.
- Cusick fanned two more batters in a scoreless second frame as the game remained scoreless.
- Elon placed base runners with an error and walk, but the right hander induced two consecutive outs to end the scoring threat.
- Wake Forest struck first as a fielding error with two outs scored Bobby Seymour, who knocked in a leadoff single.
- Ludowig reached on the error and stole second, but a strikeout ended the second frame.
- The Phoenix recorded a two-out double, their first hit of the game, in the third inning. Cusick induced a ground out to Pierce Bennett to preserve Wake Forest's 1-0 lead.
- Cusick fanned his fourth batter of the contest for the second out of the frame.
- The Deacs knocked in three base hits in the bottom of the third, but were unable to add to their 1-0 lead.
- Lucas Costello, Michael Tuconi and Brock Wilken all recorded singles.
- Cusick tossed a perfect fourth inning, upping his strikeout total to five.
- Wake Forest added a run to their lead (2-0) behind another three-hit inning.
- Pierce Bennett knocked in a RBI-single with two outs to score Shane Muntz, who singled with one out.
- Michael Ludowig beat out a play to the pitcher for an infield single following Muntz's base knock.
- Cusick struck out the side to open the fifth, upping his game total to eight.
- The trio of K's were all swinging.
- Michael Turconi (double) and Chris Lanzilli (bunt single) tallied hits in the fifth, but the Deacs were unable to increase their 2-0 lead after five full frames.
- Elon took hold of a 5-2 lead after four hits, including a three-run home run, in the top of the sixth.
- Cusick fanned three more batters in the inning, marking his fifth double-digit strikeout outing of 2021.
- Bennett reached base with one out for the Deacs in the sixth with his second base hit of the game, but Elon retired the next two batters to end the frame.
- Reed Mascolo replaced Cusick on the mound and pitched a scoreless top of the seventh, including a strikeout to end the inning.
- After Wake Forest was retired in order, Mascolo tossed his second scoreless inning as the right hander struck out the side in the home half of the eighth.
- Following the Deacs going 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Mascolo ended his night on the mound with his third-consecutive scoreless frame, including his fifth strikeout.
- Pierce Bennett walked to open the bottom of the ninth, but was caught in a double play on a quick line drive, setting up a strikeout from Michael Turconi to end the game.
"A disappointing loss with Ryan Cusick on the mound. He was cruising early, obviously ran into one bad inning. Offensively, we need to do a better job. We needed to score more than two runs and find a way to win that game. Unfortunately, we didn't. We've got to bounce back and play well tomorrow."
On Deck
Wake Forest caps off the weekend with a non-conference doubleheader against Belmont at The Couch. Both games will be broadcasted live on ACC Network Extra, with the first game slated for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch.
The Deacs head back on the road for their final four away games of the 2021 campaign, beginning with an ACC series against Virginia on May 14-16. The team will then play at Coastal Carolina on May 18th before finishing the regular season on May 20-22 against Pitt at David F. Couch Ballpark.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Greenler, Kyle (1-4)
L: Cusick, Ryan (2-4)
S: Sprake, Joe (4)
Batting:
2B: Haskin, Parker 1
HR: Havens, Willie 1
RBI: Reynolds, Cole 1 ; Havens, Willie 3
SH: Spurlin, Adam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Haskin, Parker 1 ; Iadisernia, Alex 1 ; Galason, Anthony 1 ; Reynolds, Cole 1 ; Havens, Willie 1
SB: Galason, Anthony 1
Batting:
2B: Turconi, Michael 1
RBI: Bennett, Pierce 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Seymour, Bobby 1 ; Muntz, Shane 1
SB: Ludowig, Michael 1
CS: Costello, Lucas 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
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RHP
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OF/INF
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OF
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RHP
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