Wake Forest University
27-9, 10-8
Clemson
22-13, 4-10
Deacs Drop Series Finale to Clemson
4/17/2022 5:53:00 PM | Baseball
Every Wake Forest batter notched a hit in the final game of the ACC series, led by Nick Kurtz with two home runs and a double.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The No. 23 Wake Forest baseball team dropped the series finale to Clemson, 10-8, Sunday afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark.
Every Demon Deacon (27-9, 10-8 ACC) batter notched a base hit as Wake Forest launched four home runs for the fifth time this season.
Nick Kurtz led Wake Forest at the plate with two home runs and a double, his fourth three-hit game and the second two-home run performance of the season. Kurtz also scored a team-high three runs.
With his pair of round trippers, Kurtz is now tied for eighth for most home runs by a freshman in program history. He joins Brock Wilken (17 in 2021) and Brendan Tinsman (10 in 2019) as the only first-year Deacs to reach double-digit home runs since 2010.
Tinsman also launched a home run in the finale, his fifth long fly in Wake Forest's last six games. The redshirt junior leads the team with a career-high 14 home runs this season.
Jake Reinisch extended his on-base streak to 35 games as the sophomore fired a two-run home run to cut the Tigers' (22-10, 4-10 ACC) lead to two in the bottom of the seventh.
The Deacs jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with an RBI-double from Brock Wilken and Kurtz's first home run of the game.
Clemson tied the game in the top of the third inning before the Deacs reclaimed the lead with Kurtz's second long fly.
The Tigers plated the game's next seven runs to take a 10-4 advantage. Wake Forest responded with four runs of their own in the next half inning to cut the deficit to two.
Teddy McGraw made his seventh start of the season, tossing a career-long 6.1 innings. McGraw struck out five while walking just two batters and allowing six earned runs.
Seth Keener tossed scoreless eighth and ninth innings, striking out a pair while allowing just one baserunner over the final two frames of the game.
How It Happened
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Teddy McGraw tossed a scoreless top of the first with a ground out and an inning-ending double play.
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Clemson tallied a leadoff double and placed runners on the corners after a hit batter.
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Wake Forest took a 3-0 lead in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI-double from Brock Wilken and a two-run home run from Nick Kurtz.
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Tommy Hawke led off the inning with a single up the middle before Wilken's 11th double of the season plated the freshman.
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Kurtz's ninth home run of the season scored Wilken. Additionally, Kurtz moved into ninth place in program history for home runs by a freshman with the 417-foot blast.
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Clemson responded with two solo home runs, trimming Wake Forest's lead to one.
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McGraw struck out the opening batter of the second inning before inducing a pair of groundouts to end the inning.
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James Broderick tallied a one-out single in the bottom of the second, but a double play stranded the second baseman.
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A sacrifice bunt by the Tigers tied the game at three after the top of the third frame.
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Clemson opened the inning with consecutive singles before McGraw retired the next three Tigers.
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Hawke and Michael Turconi singled in the bottom half of the inning, placing runners on first and second. An inning-ending double play stranded the pair as the game remained tied at three.
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Wake Forest turned two to end the top of the fourth as Wilken fired the ball to Broderick at second before the second baseman threw out the batter at first.
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McGraw fanned his second batter of the game to open the frame.
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The Demon Deacons regained the lead as Nick Kurtz launched his second long fly to left field.
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This marked Kurtz's 10th home run of his freshman season, which moved him into eighth for home runs by a freshman.
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McGraw tossed his second-straight zero in the top of the fifth as the Deacs continued to lead 4-3.
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After allowing a leadoff walk, McGraw retired the next three Tigers, highlighted by his third strikeout of his start.
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Wake Forest placed runners on first and second with two outs as Turconi and Kurtz walked. A fly out to center field ended the scoring threat.
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Clemson took a 5-4 lead with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth. McGraw punched out back-to-back batters to end the frame.
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Kyle Joye tallied a ground-rule double in the bottom of the frame with two outs, but a ground out stranded the outfielder to end the sixth.
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Clemson plated five runs on five hits, increasing their lead to 10-4 after the top of the seventh.
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The Deacs responded with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of home runs and an RBI-single from Bennett.
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Brendan Tinsman launched a solo home run to right field to open the scoring before Kurtz was scored on Bennett's base knock after tallying a double to left field.
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Reinisch fired a two-run long fly to left field to score Bennett and get Wake Forest within two runs of the Tigers.
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Seth Keener took over and tossed a scoreless eighth inning, forcing two ground outs and a fly out.
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After the Deacs were retired in order in the bottom half of the inning, Keener tossed a perfect three-up, three-down inning in the top of the ninth.
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Clemson claimed the series finale after retiring the Deacs in order in the bottom of the ninth.
Words from Walter
"It was a disappointing series loss. We certainly had our chances on Friday. We certainly had our chances today. I mismanaged the bullpen. It's the only way to look at it. I've got to do a better job there with the game on the line and matching those guys up. We had two outs and a guy on and we ended up allowing five runs. That's something that shouldn't happen. That's on me and it's a tough loss but we need to recover and bounce back and win on Tuesday."
On Deck
Wake Forest closes out their four-game homestand with a non-conference matchup against Appalachian State on Tuesday, April 19.
The first game between the Deacs and Mountaineers is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch and will be broadcasted live on ACC Network Extra.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Geoffrey Gilbert (3-1)
L: McGraw, Teddy (3-2)
S: Jackson Lindley (1)
Batting:
2B: Benjamin Blackwell 1 ; Cooper Ingle 1 ; Max Wagner 1 ; Tyler Corbitt 1
HR: Max Wagner 1 ; Tyler Corbitt 1 ; Caden Grice 2 ; David Lewis 1
RBI: Max Wagner 4 ; Tyler Corbitt 2 ; Caden Grice 3 ; David Lewis 1
SH: Max Wagner 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Benjamin Blackwell 2 ; Blake Wright 1 ; Max Wagner 2 ; Tyler Corbitt 2 ; Caden Grice 2 ; David Lewis 1
HBP: Blake Wright 1
Batting:
2B: Wilken, Brock 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Joye, Kyle 1
HR: Tinsman, Brendan 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 2 ; Reinisch, Jake 1
RBI: Wilken, Brock 1 ; Tinsman, Brendan 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 3 ; Bennett, Pierce 1 ; Reinisch, Jake 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Hawke, Tommy 1 ; Wilken, Brock 1 ; Tinsman, Brendan 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 3 ; Bennett, Pierce 1 ; Reinisch, Jake 1
