Wake Forest University
33-14-1, 11-12-1
Louisville
33-13-1, 15-8-1
Wake Forest-Louisville Series Finale Ends in Tie Due to Travel Constraints
5/8/2022 7:38:00 PM | Baseball
The Demon Deacons honored its 2022 senior class for their contributions to the Wake Forest baseball program prior to Sunday’s series finale.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest baseball team's ACC series finale against No. 5 Louisville ended in a 5-5 tie after 12 innings due to travel constraints on Sunday afternoon inside David F. Couch Ballpark.
Prior to the Sunday finale, Wake Forest honored its 2022 senior class for their contributions to the Demon Deacon baseball program.
The Demon Deacons posted their first tie since a 11-11 contest against Liberty on May 13, 2002 as Wake Forest overcame a three-run deficit thanks to a solo home run from Adam Cecere and a bases-loaded walk to Brock Wilken in the sixth. Brendan Tinsman launched Wake Forest's second solo home run to tie the game at four through seven full innings.
After the Cardinals regained the lead in the next half inning with a solo home run to right, Nick Kurtz immediately responded with a solo shot of his own to force extra innings.
After forcing the third out of the eighth inning, Camden Minacci tossed four more scoreless innings to keep the game locked at five
Minacci's 4.1 innings marked the longest outing of his collegiate career as the sophomore allowed no runs while striking out three batters and allowing just two hits.
Tinsman's game-tying home run marked the 18th of his redshirt junior season and moved him into a tie for 10th on Wake Forest's single season home run list.
Additionally, Kurtz's clutch solo long fly was the 11th of his rookie campaign as he moved into seventh place in the program record book for freshman home runs.
With Cecere's solo shot in the sixth, Wake Forest is now one of xxx ACC teams with five or more players with at least 10 home runs.
Prior to the Sunday finale, Wake Forest honored its 2022 senior class for their contributions to the Demon Deacon baseball program.
Thank You, Seniors
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) May 8, 2022pic.twitter.com/YrppA3umyF
How It Happened
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Teddy McGraw retired the first six Cardinals he faced, highlighted by a 12-pitch top of the first.
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Wake Forest struck first, pushing across the game's first run following a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Jake Reinisch.
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Brendan Tinsman led off the inning with a walk before Nick Kurtz was hit by a pitch. Adam Cecere pushed the duo up a base with a single to right field.
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Louisville plated a trio of unearned runs to take a 3-1 lead after the top of the third.
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The Demon Deacons were unable to capitalize on a runner in scoring position in the top of the fourth as Michael Turconi doubled and advanced to third on a fielding error.
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McGraw responded with a zero in the fourth, inducing a ground out to open the inning. After a Louisville base runner reached due to an error, McGraw fanned a batter before Tinsman picked off a runner at first to end the inning.
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Wake Forest drew a pair of walks in the bottom of the fourth as Jake Reinisch and Lucas Costello reached base. A groundout ended the frame.
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Louisville added to their lead (4-1) with a run in the top of the fifth following a throwing error with a runner on third.
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McGraw got out of the inning with his third punchout of the game.
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The Demon Deacons trimmed Louisville's lead to one (4-3) thanks to a solo home run from Adam Cecere and a bases-loaded walk to Brock Wilken in the bottom of sixth.
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Wake Forest loaded the bases thanks to back-to-back singles by Reinisch and Danny Corona and a walk to Tommy Hawke.
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Gabe Golob took over in the top of the seventh and tossed a zero, highlighted by a pair of outstanding plays at first from Kurtz.
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A Brendan Tinsman solo home run in the bottom of the eighth tied the game at four after seven full innings of play.
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Tinsman's leadoff blast marked the 18th home run of the 2022 season, pushing him into the top 10 for most home runs in a season by a Demon Deacon.
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Louisville regained the lead with a solo home run with one out in the top of the eighth.
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Golob induced a groundout for the second out of the inning.
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Camden Minacci took over and forced an inning-ending groundout, working around a walk.
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Wake Forest put two runners on base to open the bottom of the eighth as Costello was hit by a pitch and Hawke singled to left field. The Deacs were unable to capitalize on their scoring threat.
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Minacci returned in the top of the ninth and kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard with a fielder's choice, strike out and line out.
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Nick Kurtz launched a game-tying solo home run over the left field wall to send the game to extra innings (tied at five).
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Minacci threw three more zeros on the scoreboard in the top of the 10th 11th and 12th, highlighted by hitless 10th and 11th frames.
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Wake Forest placed two runners on base after a leadoff single from Reinisch and a two-out single from Hawke. A balk advanced Hawke and Will Ray, who pinch ran for Reinisch, to second and third. A fly out ended the bottom of the 12th.
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The game ended in a 5-5 tie as Louisville's travel curfew was at 4:45 p.m.
Standout Stat
Wake Forest has been patient at the plate as the Deacs have been walked 303 times, the most in the ACC and the third most in the entire nation.
This marks the fifth-most by a Demon Deacon squad in program history and is just 18 walks away from setting another program record this season:
Most Walks In A Season
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320 (2019)
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308 (2016, 1988)
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306 (2017)
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304 (1990)
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303 (2022)
Brendan Tinsman's game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh moved him into the top 10 for the most home runs in a single season by a Demon Deacon.
Single-Season Home Runs
1. Billy Masse (1988)-24
2. Bobby Seymour (2021)-21
Gavin Sheets (2017)-21
Jamie D'Antona (2003)-21
5. Johnny Aiello (2017)-20
Jamie D'Antona (2002)-20
Danny Borrell (1999)-20
Chris Kowilcik (1991)-20
Bill Merrifield (1982)-20
10. Brendan Tinsman (2022)-18
Allan Dykstra (2007)-18
Jon Palmieri (1999)-18
Dave Lardieri (1997)-18
Brick Smith (1981)-18
This season, Tinsman has set career highs in batting average (.358) hits (67), doubles (12), home runs (18), RBIs (54) and slugging percentage (.711).
Nick Kurtz also moved up in the Wake Forest record book as the Lancaster, Pa. native is now seventh on the Wake Forest freshman home run list. Kurtz also ranks in the top 10 in runs (tied for second) and walks (third) by a freshman.
Freshman Home Runs
1. Brock Wilken (2021)-17
Jamie D'Antona (2001)-17
2. Allan Dykstra (2006)-15
Anthony Maisano (1986)-15
4. Pat Malloy (1996)-14
Kevin Bunn (1981)-14
6. Carlos Lopez (2009)-12
7. Nick Kurtz (2022)-11
Jake Austin (1989)-11
Words from Walter
"That was a hard-fought game. Certainly either team could've won that game. I felt like we had more chances and when you're the home team, you need to find ways to win that game. Brock put a good barrel on the ball there at the end. We had a couple balls land a foot foul. Turc's ball hits off the pitcher's foot and goes right back to him for an out. I just thought we had more opportunities than they did late. Really proud of the way our guys battled. We fought and battled and came out of it 1-1-1. Two good baseball teams played at a very high level this weekend. Disappointed we didn't find a way to win, but really proud of our toughness and effort."
On Deck
Wake Forest returns to David F. Couch Ballpark on Wednesday, May 11 at 6 p.m. in their home finale against High Point on ACC Network Extra.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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Team Stats
Batting:
HR: Dalton Rushing 1
RBI: Jack Payton 1 ; Dalton Rushing 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Levi Usher 1 ; Dalton Rushing 1 ; Logan Beard 1 ; Brandon Anderson 2
SB: Ben Bianco 1
HBP: Logan Beard 1
PO: Isaac Humphrey 1
Batting:
2B: Turconi, Michael 1
HR: Tinsman, Brendan 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Cecere, Adam 1
RBI: Wilken, Brock 1 ; Tinsman, Brendan 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Cecere, Adam 1 ; Reinisch, Jake 1
SF: Reinisch, Jake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tinsman, Brendan 2 ; Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Cecere, Adam 1 ; Reinisch, Jake 1
HBP: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Costello, Lucas 1
