Wake Forest University
8-0
New Jersey Tech
2-5
Wake Forest Remains Undefeated with 11-5 Victory Versus NJIT
2/27/2022 6:15:00 PM | Baseball
The Deacs earned four weekend wins over the Highlanders to begin the new season 8-0, the program’s best start since 1964.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest baseball team defeated NJIT 11-5 Sunday afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark, sweeping the four-game set against the 2021 NCAA Tournament qualifiers and reigning America East Conference Champions.
The Deacs moved to 8-0 for the first time since the 1964 season when the Demon Deacons started the season 10-0 to begin the year. Wake Forest has outscored their opponents 107-28 to open the new campaign.
Overall, the Deacs are batting .390 and hold a team ERA of just 2.70.
After NJIT (2-5) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Deacs responded with a three-run inning in the third behind home runs from Jake Reinisch and Michael Turconi and held the lead the remainder of the contest.
The Deacs continued their momentum on both the mound and at the plate, outscoring NJIT 7-1 over the next three frames.
Seth Keener claimed his second win of the season after striking out four batters in four innings while allowing just two earned runs.
Wake Forest relied on the arms of Derek Crum, Crawford Wade, Will Andrews and Brennen Oxford to close out the game on the mound as the quartet each fanned one batter while letting up just five hits over the final five frames of game action.
Crum took over for Keener in the fifth, tossing two scoreless innings with one strikeout to blank the Highlanders and keep the momentum sided with Wake Forest.
Wake Forest was led by Reinisch, Danny Corona and Adam Cecere at the plate with two hits apiece.
Reinisch, who has now homered in back-to-back games, led the Deacs with three RBIs, while Corona scored a team-high three runs.
As a team, Wake Forest was patient at the plate as the Deacs drew nine walks, led by Tommy Hawke with three.
How It Happened
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The Highlanders took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a solo home run to left field.
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After forcing a fly out to open the game, Seth Keener fanned a pair of NJIT batters for the last two outs of the inning.
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Keener tossed a scoreless second inning, highlighted by his third strikeout of his start to end the inning.
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Brendan Tinsman caught a Highlander base runner trying to steal second for the opening out of the frame.
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After Keener tossed his second-straight scoreless inning, Wake Forest jumped out to a 3-1 lead with home runs from Jake Reinisch (solo) and Michael Turconi (two-run) with two outs.
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Nick Kurtz was plated on Turconi's long fly after walking on four pitches.
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NJIT made it a one-run game (4-3) with a SAC fly in the top of the fourth inning. After allowing a two-out single, Keener snagged a ground ball that was fired back to the mound and tossed it to Kurtz to end the inning and preserve Wake Forest's lead.
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Wake Forest's bats responded once again in the bottom half of the inning, increasing their lead to 5-2 with a Brendan Tinsman solo home run and fielder's choice with the bases loaded.
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A throwing error and walks drawn by Reinisch and Tommy Hawke loaded the bases with one out. Bennett beat a tag at home plate after Kurtz pushed the ball to the first baseman.
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Crum took over the pitching duties in the fifth, tossing a scoreless first inning of work with back-to-back groundouts to the first two batters faced.
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After a single by NJIT, Crum induced a ground out to Turconi at shortstop, who flipped the ball to Danny Corona for the force out at second.
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The Deacs added four runs in the bottom of the fifth to push their lead to 9-2. The scoring began with a bases-clearing base knock to center field by Reinisch. Reinisch advanced all the way to third base after a fielding error and was plated by an RBI-single from Nick Kurtz.
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After the first batter of the sixth, Crum retired the next three batters to keep NJIT out of the scoring column.
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Crum registered a strikeout for the second out before Tinsman threw another Highlander base runner out trying to take second base to end the frame.
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Tommy Hawke drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Corona and increase the Demon Deacon lead to 10-2.
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After the Highlanders tacked on a run in the seventh, Wake Forest added the run back as Kyle Joye knocked in a RBI-double to score Corona, who smashed a ground-rule double over the center field fence.
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After NJIT was able to add a pair of runs off two-run HR to right field in the ninth, Brennen Oxford retired two-straight batters to give Wake Forest a 11-5 win in the series finale.
Words from Walter
"Our pitching was pretty good today. Seth Kenner settled down after giving up the first inning home run and did a great job until we took him out. Derek Crum and Crawford Wade stepped up today and did a great job coming out of the bullpen. All in all, we pitched well this weekend. I am very pleased about how deep our starters went this weekend, especially in a four-game series. Overall, I'm happy with the 8-0 start and looking forward to working on some things and getting back out here against Elon on Tuesday."
Standout Stat
The Deacs moved to 8-0 for the first time since the 1964 season when the Demon Deacons started the season 10-0 to begin the year. Wake Forest has outscored their opponents 107-28 to open the new campaign.
Overall, the Deacs are batting .390 and hold a team ERA of just 2.70.
On Deck
Wake Forest continues their 11-game homestand with their second midweek game of the 2022 season on Tuesday, March 1 against Elon inside David F. Couch Ballpark. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Keener, Seth (2-0)
L: Drew Standen (0-1)
Batting:
2B: David Marcano 1 ; Nick Hussey 1 ; Cole Fleming 1
HR: Julio Marcano 1 ; Ray Ortiz 1
RBI: Julio Marcano 1 ; Jared Donnelly 1 ; Ray Ortiz 2 ; Andrew Elcock 1
SF: Jared Donnelly 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Julio Marcano 1 ; David Marcano 1 ; Paul Franzoni 1 ; Cole Fleming 1 ; Ray Ortiz 1
SB: Paul Franzoni 1
CS: Julio Marcano 1 ; David Marcano 1 ; Paul Franzoni 1
HBP: David Marcano 1 ; Paul Franzoni 1
Batting:
2B: Corona, Danny 1 ; Joye, Kyle 1
HR: Turconi, Michael 1 ; Tinsman, Brendan 1 ; Reinisch, Jake 1
RBI: Kurtz, Nick 2 ; Turconi, Michael 2 ; Tinsman, Brendan 1 ; Reinisch, Jake 3 ; Joye, Kyle 1 ; Hawke, Tommy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Turconi, Michael 1 ; Tinsman, Brendan 2 ; Corona, Danny 3 ; Bennett, Pierce 2 ; Reinisch, Jake 2
SB: Kurtz, Nick 1
CS: Cecere, Adam 1
HBP: Corona, Danny 1
PO: Cecere, Adam 1
