Wake Forest University
23-7, 7-6
Duke
13-17, 3-10
Demon Deacons Take Series Opener over Duke, 5-2
4/8/2022 11:14:00 PM | Baseball
Wake Forest moves to 23-7 on the season, their best record through 30 games since 2006.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Behind another impressive start from Rhett Lowder, strong defense and timely hitting, Wake Forest defeated Duke, 5-2, in the series opener Friday night inside David F. Couch Ballpark.
With the Big Four victory, the Demon Deacons (23-7, 7-6 ACC) are off to the program's best start through 30 games since the 2006 season and picked up their 17th home win of the season.
Lowder started strong, retiring the first 10 batters he faced to earn his seventh win of the season. The righthander tossed a career-high tying seven innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out three and walking no one.
The Albemarle, N.C. native is the only pitcher in the ACC with seven wins.
After three full scoreless innings of play, Wake Forest took a 2-0 lead over the Blue Devils (13-17, 3-9 ACC) thanks to a two-out, two-RBI single from Jake Reinisch. The base knock scored Brock Wilken (walk) from third and Adam Cecere (single) all the way from first.
After another zero from Lowder in the top of the fifth, Michael Turconi lifted the Demon Deacon lead to 5-0 with a three-run home run over the right field wall. The long fly marked the sixth of his redshirt junior season.
After Duke cut Wake Forest's advantage to three (5-2) with runs in the sixth and seventh inning, Crawford Wade and Camden Minacci blanked the Blue Devils over for the final two frames, allowing no hits and walking no batters.
Minacci ended the game with a strikeout in the top of the ninth, picking up his third save of the season and clinching the series opener.
Nick Kurtz and Turocni led the way at the plate with two hits apiece, while Wilken scored a team-high two runs.
How It Happened
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Rhett Lowder opened his eighth start of the season with a three-up, three-down inning, forcing a ground out, fly out and line out.
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Nick Kurtz tallied a leadoff single to open Wake Forest's offense in the bottom of the first. The freshman was stranded as the next three Deacs were retired.
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Lowder tossed his second-straight perfect inning in the top of the second, highlighted by his first strikeout.
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After the Deacs were retired in order in the bottom of the second, Lowder responded with his third-straight perfect inning with a pair of groundouts to Kurtz at first and a fly out to Pierce Bennett in right field.
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Lowder tallied his fourth-straight scoreless inning to open his start, working around Duke's first hit of the ballgame with one out in the frame. Lowder forced an unassisted groundout to Kurtz and a groundout to Danny Corona to strand the Blue Devils' first base runner.
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The right hander retired the first 10 batters he faced.
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Wake Forest jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Jake Reinisch notched a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to right field in the bottom of the fourth inning.
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Brock Wilken led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on a two-out single from Adam Cecere. The duo was plated on Reinisch's base knock as Cecere came around from first to score.
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The Deacs placed runners on the corners as Reinisch advanced to third on a single from Pierce Bennett, Wake Forest's fourth hit of the game. A hard hit, line out ended the scoring opportunity.
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After conceding a leadoff single, Lowder retired the next three Blue Devils to preserve Wake Forest's 2-0 lead.
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A groundout pushed Duke's base runner into scoring position. Lowder responded with his second strikeout and another groundout to end the threat.
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A Michael Turconi three-run home run pushed the Demon Deacon lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth.
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Turconi's long fly was the third-straight hit by Wake Forest as Kurtz laid down a bunt to the third base line before Wilken registered a base knock to left field.
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Duke got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth with three-straight singles, trimming Wake Forest's lead to 5-1.
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Lowder ended the inning with runners on first and second with his third strikeout of his outing.
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Danny Corona tallied Wake Forest's second bunt single of the game in the bottom of the inning and advanced to third on an unassisted groundout to first. Corona was stranded on third as a Wake Forest batter struck out.
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Duke added another single run in the top of the seventh with a solo home run to center field. After hitting a batter, Lowder forced a fielder's choice and an unassisted groundout to Kurtz to end the inning.
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Crawford Wade took over on the mound in the eighth, blanking the Blue Devils with a perfect 1-2-3 inning. The Deacs were retired in order to end the eighth.
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Camden Minacci clinched the opener in the top of the ninth, forcing a fly out and ground out before striking out the final batter of the game to earn the third save of his sophomore campaign.
Standout Stat
With the Big Four victory, the Demon Deacons are off to the program's best start through 30 games since the 2006 season and picked up their 17th home win of the season.
Best Starts through 30 games since 2000:
2002: 24-6
2022: 23-7
2006: 23-
2017: 22-8
2003: 20-10
Words from Walter
"Tonight was a good baseball game. Their starter was really good and we knew we needed a good start from Rhett and he came through for us. I was really happy with Rhett this evening. He didn't have a ton of strikeouts but he did a nice job keeping them off the basepaths for a majority of the night. Defensively, we made a lot of good plays all over the diamond. Kurtz, Corona, Turconi, Wilken and Cecere all made great plays when we needed it and without those plays, this game would've been a lot closer. Offensively, we did enough. We left a few opportunities out there but overall we did a nice job at the plate. This is what Friday night ACC baseball is. You've got to hit it, pitch it and catch it and we did that tonight."
On Deck
Game two between the teams will take place on Saturday, April 9 at 4 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Prior to the game, Jason Michael Carroll will be performing a pre-game concert.
Country music and Wake Forest baseball fans alike will have the chance to attend the 60-minute pre-game concert for free with the purchase of a game ticket. Admission starts at only $8 for youth and $10 for adults for general admission access, additional reserved and premium seating options are available.
The show begins at 2:30 p.m., with gates opening at 2 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lowder, Rhett (7-1)
L: Johnson,Marcus (1-6)
S: Minacci, Camden (3)
Batting:
HR: Obee,Devin 1
RBI: Knight,Chad 1 ; Obee,Devin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pauley,Graham 1 ; Obee,Devin 1
HBP: Stone,Alex 1
Batting:
HR: Turconi, Michael 1
RBI: Turconi, Michael 3 ; Reinisch, Jake 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Wilken, Brock 2 ; Turconi, Michael 1 ; Cecere, Adam 1
HBP: Cecere, Adam 1
