Sunday, February 20
Winston-Salem, N.C.
4:00 p.m.
Wake Forest University
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Wake Forest
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Wake Forest Powers Past VCU Behind Four Home Runs
2/20/2022 7:10:00 PM | Baseball
Jake Reinish, Nick Kurtz and Adam Cecere all go deep in the Deacs opening weekend finale on Sunday.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Behind a complete team effort that featured four Demon Deacons home runs and a great performance from a trio of Wake Forest pitchers on the mound, the Deacs (3-0) downed VCU (1-2) on Sunday afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark, 6-4.
With victories over Lafayette, Georgetown and VCU, Wake Forest earned its first opening weekend sweep since 2016.
Wake Forest grabbed an early lead with a pair of solo home runs by sophomore Jake Reinish and freshman Nick Kurtz. VCU was able to answer in the fourth and fifth innings behind timely hitting to take the lead, 4-2.
Undaunted, the Deacs scored once in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and regained the lead for good when sophomore Adam Cecere mashed his first long ball of the season over the right field fence to score a pair of runs and allow Wake Forest to retake the lead, 5-4.
Wake Forest would add an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a Cecere solo home run.
Sophomore Teddy McGraw (1-0), who made 19 relief appearances as a rookie last spring, made his first collegiate start on Sunday and tossed six innings and tallied four strikeouts. The Oneonta, N.Y. native opened the game by retiring nine-straight VCU hitters, which included three punchouts.
Brennen Oxford threw a scoreless seventh inning in relief and redshirt sophomore Eric Adler pitched the final two frames to earn his first save of the season. Oxford and Adler combined for five strikeouts over the final three innings of play.
Wake Forest returns to action on Tuesday at Couch Ballpark for a 4 p.m. first pitch against UNC Greensboro.
How It Happened
Words from Walter
"I did not think we played particularly great today as we just did not stack enough quality at bats. We cannot rely on the home run for offense every game. We were clutch in some moments, obviously, as Adam Cecere had two homers and Nick Kurtz went deep as well. We need to be able to punch runs across in other ways and we did not do that today. Give credit to VCU's pitching. They 'charlie all-staffed' it and kept us off balance.
"On the mound, I thought Teddy McGraw threw the ball really well. Outside of that one inning, I was really happy with how he threw, especially early.
"Once we were down and then answered with one of our own to cut the lead in half, Teddy went back out there and got us a zero, three up and three down. That was a huge momentum swing and then Adam hit that two-run home run and then we were able to turn it over to our bullpen.
"Brennen Oxford was awesome and Eric Adler was darn-near un-hittable at times tonight.
"Good team win."
In the Spotlight
Entering the game in the eighth inning ahead one run, closer Eric Adler secured the win for Wake Forest as he notched his first save of the young season and the seventh of his career. The redshirt sophomore held the Rams scoreless while recording four strikeouts.
One season ago, Adler had a team-best 2.00 earned run average and was tied for the fifth-most saves in the Atlantic Coast Conference at the end of the regular season with six.
On Deck
The Deacs are back at the David F. Couch Ballpark on Tuesday afternoon for their first midweek contest of the season when they host UNC Greensboro. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
For fans not in attendance at the Couch on Tuesday, the game can also be seen on ACC Network Extra.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
With victories over Lafayette, Georgetown and VCU, Wake Forest earned its first opening weekend sweep since 2016.
Wake Forest grabbed an early lead with a pair of solo home runs by sophomore Jake Reinish and freshman Nick Kurtz. VCU was able to answer in the fourth and fifth innings behind timely hitting to take the lead, 4-2.
Undaunted, the Deacs scored once in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and regained the lead for good when sophomore Adam Cecere mashed his first long ball of the season over the right field fence to score a pair of runs and allow Wake Forest to retake the lead, 5-4.
Wake Forest would add an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a Cecere solo home run.
Sophomore Teddy McGraw (1-0), who made 19 relief appearances as a rookie last spring, made his first collegiate start on Sunday and tossed six innings and tallied four strikeouts. The Oneonta, N.Y. native opened the game by retiring nine-straight VCU hitters, which included three punchouts.
Brennen Oxford threw a scoreless seventh inning in relief and redshirt sophomore Eric Adler pitched the final two frames to earn his first save of the season. Oxford and Adler combined for five strikeouts over the final three innings of play.
Wake Forest returns to action on Tuesday at Couch Ballpark for a 4 p.m. first pitch against UNC Greensboro.
How It Happened
- In McGraw's first career collegiate start, as the sophomore made 19 relief appearances as a rookie a year ago, set down the Rams in order with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout.
- Despite a two-out walk by Brock Wilken, VCU starter Maddison Furman returned the favor in the home half of the first with a scoreless inning.
- After a six-up and six-down second inning, Wake Forest opened the scoring in the bottom of the third on back-to-back solo home runs by Jake Reinish and Nick Kurtz.
- Both long balls were the first of the season for the sophomore and freshman, respectively.
- Kurtz's homer chased VCU starting pitcher Maddison Furman out of the game after pitching just two innings.
- Junior righthander Evan Chenier entered in relief and set the Deacs down in order to end the third inning.
- VCU's Logan Amiss earned a walk to begin the fourth inning and advanced around the bases on a pair of groundouts and a passed ball to tighten the score, 2-1.
- The Rams recorded their first hit of the ballgame in the top of the fifth inning and plated three runs on four hits to take the lead, 4-2.
- Undaunted, Wake Forest answered right back in the bottom of the fifth after Michael Turconi recorded a sacrifice fly to cut the VCU advantage to 4-3.
- After a five-pitch, 1-2-3 inning for McGraw in the top of the sixth, Pierce Bennett led off the home half of the frame with his third hit of the day.
- One batter later, Adam Cecere mashed his first home run of the season to give Wake Forest the lead, 5-4.
- Brennen Oxford came on in relief for the Deacs in the top of the seventh and retired the side in order with one strikeout.
- Redshirt sophomore closer Eric Adler earned his title in the final two frames as he held VCU scoreless and recorded four strikeouts.
- Cecere added an insurance run for the Deacs in the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run.
Words from Walter
"I did not think we played particularly great today as we just did not stack enough quality at bats. We cannot rely on the home run for offense every game. We were clutch in some moments, obviously, as Adam Cecere had two homers and Nick Kurtz went deep as well. We need to be able to punch runs across in other ways and we did not do that today. Give credit to VCU's pitching. They 'charlie all-staffed' it and kept us off balance.
"On the mound, I thought Teddy McGraw threw the ball really well. Outside of that one inning, I was really happy with how he threw, especially early.
"Once we were down and then answered with one of our own to cut the lead in half, Teddy went back out there and got us a zero, three up and three down. That was a huge momentum swing and then Adam hit that two-run home run and then we were able to turn it over to our bullpen.
"Brennen Oxford was awesome and Eric Adler was darn-near un-hittable at times tonight.
"Good team win."
In the Spotlight
Entering the game in the eighth inning ahead one run, closer Eric Adler secured the win for Wake Forest as he notched his first save of the young season and the seventh of his career. The redshirt sophomore held the Rams scoreless while recording four strikeouts.
One season ago, Adler had a team-best 2.00 earned run average and was tied for the fifth-most saves in the Atlantic Coast Conference at the end of the regular season with six.
On Deck
The Deacs are back at the David F. Couch Ballpark on Tuesday afternoon for their first midweek contest of the season when they host UNC Greensboro. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
For fans not in attendance at the Couch on Tuesday, the game can also be seen on ACC Network Extra.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McGraw, Teddy (1-0)
L: Griffin, Jaden (0-1)
S: Adler, Eric (1)
Batting:
RBI: Amiss, Logan 1 ; Haydak, Michael 1 ; Benzin, Cooper 1 ; Mathis, AJ 1
SF: Mathis, AJ 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Amiss, Logan 1 ; Selden, Jacob 1 ; Hujsak, Connor 1 ; O'Malley, Marcus 1
HBP: Carlone, Will 1
Batting:
HR: Cecere, Adam 2 ; Reinisch, Jake 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 1
RBI: Turconi, Michael 1 ; Cecere, Adam 3 ; Reinisch, Jake 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 1
SF: Turconi, Michael 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bennett, Pierce 1 ; Cecere, Adam 2 ; Reinisch, Jake 2 ; Kurtz, Nick 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
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4
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H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
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2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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OF/INF
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OF/INF
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LHP
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INF/C
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