Deacs Drop Saturday Contest Against Tar Heels

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Wake Forest baseball team fell 12-3 to North Carolina on Saturday night inside Boshamer Stadium.

The Demon Deacons (34-16-1, 11-14-1 ACC) launched a pair of home runs as Pierce Bennett sent a two-run shot off the scoreboard in left field to tie the game at 2 in the top of the fourth inning before Jake Reinisch hit a solo shot over the right field wall in the top of the seventh.

After Bennett's fifth home run of the season put the game in a deadlock, the Tar Heels (31-18, 12-14 ACC) plated 10 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to clinch game two of the ACC series.

Tommy Hawke led Wake Forest at the plate with a career high-tying four hits. Hawke also notched four hits against Georgia Tech on March 18.

In ACC play, Hawke holds a team-high .418 batting average with a team-high .540 on-base percentage.

Josh Hartle made the 12th start of his freshman season, tossing four innings with three strikeouts while allowing five earned runs.

Derek Crum induced six outs, allowing no hits with a trio of punchouts, highlighted by a perfect three-up, three-down sixth inning.

Jacob Grzebinski struck out a batter to end the bottom of the seventh before tossing a scoreless eighth.

How It Happened

Michael Turconi notched a two-out walk in the top of the first, but a groundout ended the inning.
Josh Hartle tossed a scoreless bottom half of the first, fanning the first batter of the game. After inducing a groundout to Turconi at shortstop, Hartle worked around a base hit with another ground out to end the frame.
The Deacs got a two-out base runner again thanks to a walk to Adam Cecere, but a fly one out ended the top of the second.
Tommy Hawke pushed a ball to left field with one out in top of the third, but the next two Deacs were retired as the game remained scoreless heading into the bottom half of the inning.
A solo home run and a passed ball gave the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead after three full frames.
The Deacs responded in the top of the fourth as Pierce Bennett blasted a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left center to tie the game at two.
- Nick Kurtz singled to center field with one out and scored on Bennett's fifth home run of the season.
- Adam Cecere singled immediately after the long fly, but the next two Deacs were retired to end the inning.
Hartle tossed a perfect 1-2-3 frame in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by a diving catch in shallow right center field by Bennett for the opening out.
Hawke notched his second hit of the game to lead off the fifth inning and moved to second on a groundout. A strikeout ended the scoring opportunity as the game remained tied heading into the middle of the fifth.
North Carolina extended their lead to 12-2 with 10 runs in the bottom of the fifth.
After Derek Crum retired the Tar Heels in order in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by a pair of strikeouts, Jake Reinisch blasted a home run to right field to lead off the top of the seventh.
- After a deep fly out for the first out of the inning, Hawke notched his third base hit of the game. A pair of fly outs ended the inning.
Crum returned in the bottom of the seventh and retired the first two batters of the frame. Jacob Grzebinski took over following a two-out walk and fanned a Tar Heel batter for the third and final out.
Brendan Tinsman ripped a double down the right field line to open the top of the eighth inning. Zach Sehgal pinch ran for the redshirt junior and advanced to third on an unassisted groundout. A pair of strikeouts ended the scoring opportunity.
Grzebinski tossed a scoreless bottom of the eighth. The left hander induced a leadoff ground out to Wilken at third before the sophomore turned a double play to end the inning.
Hawke notched a two-out single in the top of the ninth for his fourth hit of the game. A hard lineout to third base ended the game as North Carolina claimed game two, 12-3.

Standout Stat
Wake Forest has been patient at the plate as the Deacs have walked 319 times, the most in the ACC and the second most in the entire nation.

This marks the second-most by a Demon Deacon squad in program history and is just two walks away from setting another program record this season:

Most Walks In A Season

320 (2019)
319 (2022)
308 (2016, 1988)
306 (2017)
304 (1990)

Wake Forest's two home runs in game two increased their season total to 93 home runs and moved the 2022 squad into second for the most home runs in program history.

Most Home Runs in a Season

106 (2017)
93 (2022)
91 (2021)
90 (1999)

On Deck
Wake Forest returns to the diamond in the series finale against North Carolina on Sunday, May 15 at Boshamer Stadium.

The game is slated for a 1 p.m. start and will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.

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Team Stats

Tommy Hawke

Brendan Tinsman

Nick Kurtz

Pierce Bennett

Players Mentioned

Pierce Bennett

Adam Cecere

Derek Crum

Jacob Grzebinski

Josh Hartle

Tommy Hawke

Nick Kurtz

Jake Reinisch

Zach Sehgal

Brendan Tinsman

Michael Turconi

Players Mentioned

Pierce Bennett

Adam Cecere

Derek Crum

Jacob Grzebinski

Josh Hartle

Tommy Hawke

Nick Kurtz

Jake Reinisch

Zach Sehgal

Brendan Tinsman

Michael Turconi

Wake Forest Athletics