Demon Deacons Drop Series Opener to Virginia

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The No. 24 Wake Forest baseball team fell, 8-2, in the opener of their third ACC series of the season to No. 10 Virginia on Friday night inside David F. Couch Ballpark.

In their eighth game against a top-15 opponent, the Demon Deacons (17-5, 3-4 ACC) cut Virginia's (21-1, 6-1 ACC) lead to one in the fourth inning as Michael Turconi (walk) and Brock Wilken (single) scored on a two-out, two-RBI single from Brendan Tinsman.

The Cavaliers responded with a four-run sixth inning to push their lead to five before tacking on a run in the ninth to claim game one of the three-game set.

Rhett Lowder (5-1) made his sixth start of the season, striking out six batters and allowing three earned runs in 5.2 innings. The right hander punched out two batters in both the second and third innings.

Gabe Golob was the first Wake Forest arm out of the bullpen. The Encino, Calif. native notched his sixth-straight scoreless outing in 1.1 innings of work, highlighted by a season-high three strikeouts and a perfect top of the seventh.

Jacob Grzebinski retired the Cavaliers in order in the eighth before Zach Grace induced a double play and a ground out in the ninth.

Tinsman's two RBIs marked the sixth game this season (20th of his career) the redshirt junior has brought home multiple runs.

Joining Tinsman with base knocks on Friday was Tommy Hawke, Nick Kurtz and Wilken.

How It Happened

Rhett Lowder opened up with a three up, three down inning to begin his sixth start of the season.
- Lowder retired the Cavaliers in order with a ground out, fly out and line out.
Nick Kurtz drew a lead-off walk, but Virginia forced a fielder's choice to the next Wake Forest batters to keep the game scoreless.
After allowing a leadoff walk, Lowder struck out the next pair of Virginia batters before inducing an inning-ending ground out to Brock Wilken at third base.
Virginia took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third after back-to-back singles, a passed ball and wild pitch.
- Lowder fanned a pair of Cavaliers in the frame, increasing his game total to four.
Tommy Hawke drew Wake Forest's second walk of the game in the bottom half of the inning, but the next three Demon Deacon batters were retired to end the frame.
The Cavaliers tacked on a run with a leadoff home run to left field to take a 3-0 lead through the top of the fourth.
- Lowder induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the top half of the inning after tallying his fifth strikeout of the game for the opening out.
A two-out, two-RBI single from Brendan Tinsman got Wake Forest on the board in the bottom of the fourth, making Virginia's lead just one run (3-2).
- Michael Turconi (walk) and Wilken (single) reached safely to open up the frame. Adam Cecere moved the duo up a base with a perfectly laid bunt down the third base line.
- Following a strikeout, Tinsman fired a ball up the middle to score Turconi and Wilken.
Virginia extended their lead to 7-2 in the top of the sixth on two hits and two errors.
After the Deacs were sat down in order in the bottom of the sixth, Gabe Golob notched a perfect 1-2-3 inning of his own as the right hander fanned the first two batters of the inning before inducing a groundout to Michael Turconi at short.
Wake Forest threatened in the bottom half of the inning as back-to-back hits from Tommy Hawke and Nick Kurtz placed runners on first and second with one out. A strike out and fly out ended the scoring opportunity.
Jacon Grzebinski took over the pitching duties in the eighth and tossed Wake Forest's second-straight 1-2-3 inning with a ground out, strike out and fly out.
Virginia added a run in the top of the ninth with a base hit, walk and passed ball before Zach Grace induced a double play and an inning-ending ground out to get out of the inning.
Wake Forest was retired in order in the bottom of the ninth as the Cavaliers claimed game one, 8-2.

Words from Walter
"It was a disappointing loss. We didn't do much of anything well. Defensively, we had some lapses and had some walks. Obviously, the solo home run – they earned that one but you think back at the seven other runs, two outs, wild pitch, two runs, score. Their fourth run comes on a couple walks and the ball gets by one of our outfielders and gets to the wall so they're next two runs come there. The next run after that comes on a pick-off play that we throw away and then they score on a ground ball. Run after that comes after a balk and they get a two-out hit. The eighth run comes after a couple of walks and a bunt play we don't make. When you look back at it, if we just play clean baseball, who knows. We got a chance to win.

"Offensively, we knew coming in Savino was really good. We put 19 pitches on him in the third and then we put 26 pitches on him in the fourth and we got his pitch count up right at 70 pitches through four. We come out in the fifth and have a five-pitch inning. That was really the swing of the game. They grabbed the momentum from there. Same thing late in the eighth inning. We have a chance to get to another bullpen guy. We swing at a 3-1 pitch out of the zone. We get doubled off. Instead of burning two bullpen guys, they only had to burn one. Hopefully that doesn't come back to bite us later in the series. We have to play better baseball than we played today. Obviously, Virginia is a good team and they did some good things today but we need to play clean baseball if we're going to beat good teams."

On Deck
The Deacs look to even up the series on Saturday, March 26. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. and can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.

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Team Stats

Nick Kurtz

Brock Wilken

Brendan Tinsman

Tommy Hawke

Players Mentioned

Adam Cecere

Gabe Golob

Zach Grace

Jacob Grzebinski

Tommy Hawke

Nick Kurtz

Rhett Lowder

Brendan Tinsman

Michael Turconi

Brock Wilken

Players Mentioned

Adam Cecere

Gabe Golob

Zach Grace

Jacob Grzebinski

Tommy Hawke

Nick Kurtz

Rhett Lowder

Brendan Tinsman

Michael Turconi

Brock Wilken

Wake Forest Athletics