Wake Forest University
17-2, 0
Notre Dame
8-7, 0
No. 4 Wake Forest Remains Perfect at Home; Sweeps Saturday Doubleheader Versus Notre Dame
3/18/2023 8:42:00 PM | Baseball
The Deacs are now a perfect 14-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents 151-29 inside The Couch.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The No. 4 Wake Forest baseball team swept a Saturday doubleheader against Notre Dame to remain perfect at home and claim its second ACC series win of the 2023 season.
Wake Forest (18-2, 4-1 ACC) has won at least 18 of its first 20 games for just the second time in program history, joining the 1949 Deacs, who hold the program's best open to a campaign at 20-0.
With its 13th win of the season against Cornell on March 5, this year's squad also joined the 1949 ballclub as the only two Demon Deacon baseball teams to open a season 13-0.
The Deacs are now 14-0 home this season, outscoring opponents 151-29 inside the friendly confines of The Couch. Since last year, Wake Forest has posted a 40-7-1 record and outscored opponents, 462-167, in home games.
This year's team is believed to be the only squad in program history to win its first 14 home games to begin a season.
Wake Forest has now claimed its first two ACC series of the season after taking two out of three at Duke last weekend in Durham.
On Saturday, Wake Forest's starting pitchers, Rhett Lowder and Sean Sullivan, combined to throw 13 innings, allowing just two earned runs, five hits and two walks while striking out 18 batters.
Overall, Wake Forest struck out a combined 25 batters and allowed just four runs and 11 hits.
Offensively, the Deacs scored 16 runs on 21 hits, eight of which went for extra bases with three doubles, one triple and four home runs.
Game One
Eight scoreless innings from Rhett Lowder, Cole Roland and Camden Minacci in addition to timely hitting and solo home runs from Justin Johnson and Nick Kurtz powered Wake Forest to a 4-1 victory in the series opener on Saturday afternoon.
Lowder opened his start by retiring six-straight Notre Dame batters before retiring the last six batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings.
Overall, Lowder moved to 4-0 on the year with seven strikeouts and one run and walk allowed.
Justin Johnson got Wake Forest on the board with a solo home run, his fourth of the season, in the second inning.
A Marek Houston RBI-triple broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth before Lowder worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam to preserve Wake Forest's lead in the fifth.
Nick Kurtz launched a solo round-tripper 429-feet in the bottom half to push the Wake Forest lead to 3-1.
The Deacs added an insurance run in the eighth thanks to an RBI-single from Gio Cueto that scored Johnson, who tallied a ground-rule double to open the frame.
Cole Roland and Camden Minacci induced the final six outs of the game on the mound.
Roland forced a pop up before striking out a batter with a runner on second.
Minacci stranded two Notre Dame base runners in the eighth with a pop up before slamming the door in the ninth to earn his fifth save of the 2023 season.
Game Two
The Deacs received another strong start on the mound to open game two as Sean Sullivan retired the first seven batters he faced, highlighted by five punchouts.
Wake Forest started out fast at the plate as well, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after three full innings.
Brock Wilken tallied an RBI-single to right field before a wild pitch plated Nick Kurtz in the first.
In the second, Gio Cueto hit the first home run of his collegiate career to right field, scoring Justin Johnson to double the Demon Deacon advantage.
An RBI-single from Danny Corona in the third scored Kurtz before a fielding error pushed across Wilken to make it 7-0 Deacs.
Wake Forest responded immediately after a Notre Dame RBI-double in the top of the fourth as Kurtz launched his second home run of the day.
After Sullivan tossed a scoreless frame in his final inning in the sixth, an RBI-double from Tommy Hawke and a two-RBI single from Pierce Bennett pushed Wake Forest's lead to double-digits.
Overall, Sullivan earned his third win of the 2023 season, tossing seven innings while striking out a career-high tying 11 strikeouts, his fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the season.
Seth Keener notched zeros in the seventh and eighth innings with four strikeouts and one hit and walk conceded.
Notre Dame added two runs in the top of the ninth with a two-run home run with two outs. Joe Ariola struck out a batter to end the game and clinch Wake Forest's second series victory of the season.
All nine players in Wake Forest's lineup reached base in game two, while eight Deacs scored a run and notched a base hit.
How It Happened (Game One)
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Rhett Lowder retired Notre Dame in order to open the game with a strikeout and back-to-back groundouts.
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Tommy Hawke notched a leadoff single up the middle before Pierce Bennett moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Following a strikeout, Brock Wilken was hit by a pitch. Hawke and Wilken were stranded with a groundout to first base.
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Lowder retired the Irish in order once again in the top of the second, striking out his second batter of his outing to end the frame.
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Justin Johnson got Wake Forest on the scoreboard with a solo homer to left field as the Deacs took a 1-0 lead after two full frames.
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Notre Dame tied the game at 1 with a leadoff double and RBI-single.
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After the Fighting Irish's first run, Lowder retired the next two batters to end the frame.
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Lowder returned in the top of the fourth with a hitless frame, tallying another inning-ending strikeout, his third of the game.
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Wake Forest regained the lead (2-1) in the bottom of the inning thanks to a Marek Houston RBI-triple off the right field wall, scoring Gio Cueto (single).
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Lowder struck out three Fighting Irish batters in the fifth to preserve Wake Forest's one-run lead to open the fifth.
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The reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year worked out of a bases-loaded jam with two outs, fanning his third batter of the inning for the final out.
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Nick Kurtz extended Wake Forest's lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot to right center field.
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Lowder ended his fifth start of the season with back-to-back three-up, three-down innings in the sixth and seventh as Wake Forest continued to lead 3-1 in the middle of the seventh.
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A Pierce Bennett single and Wilken walk placed a pair of Deacs on base in the bottom of the seventh, but a strikeout ended the scoring threat as the Deacs took its two-run lead to the eighth.
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Cole Roland and Camden Minacci combined for a scoreless top of the eighth inning on the mound.
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After conceding a leadoff single, Roland induced a pop up for the inning's opening out. A balk moved the base runner to second before the righthander.
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Minacci forced a groundout on just his fourth pitch to end the inning and strand the pair.
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The Deacs added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as Cueto drove in Johnson with an RBI-single, increasing its lead to 4-1.
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Johnson opened the inning with a ground-rule double on the first pitch of the frame.
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Minacci came back in the ninth and earned the fifth save of his junior season as the Deacs clinched its ACC home opener, 4-1.
How It Happened (Game Two)
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Sean Sullivan sent the Fighting Irish down in order to open the contest, striking out the first two batters before inducing a high flyout to Pierce Bennett in right field.
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The Deacs carried its offensive momentum into the second game of the twin bill, plating two runs on two hits to take an early lead.
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After a strikeout, Bennett fired a base knock to center field and moved into scoring position thanks to a Nick Kurtz walk.
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Brock Wilken tallied an RBI-single through the right side to score Bennett from second and push Kurtz to third.
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A wild pitch brought home Kurtz and ended the first-inning scoring for the Deacs.
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Sullivan once again retired Notre Dame in order with two more strikeouts and a groundout in the top of the second.
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A two-run home run from Gio Cueto doubled Wake Forest's lead to 4-0 after two full innings.
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Justin Johnson singled to center field to open the inning and was brought home on Cueto's first homer of his career.
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Sullivan fanned another two batters in another 1-2-3 frame in the top of the third, increasing his game total to six punchouts.
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The Deacs increased its lead to 7-0 after three full innings thanks to an RBI-single from Danny Corona and a fielding error by the Fighting Irish.
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Notre Dame found the scoreboard in the top of the fourth, trimming Wake Forest's lead to 7-1 with an RBI-double.
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Sullivan stopped the damage and stranded a pair by retiring three-straight Notre Dame batters with a fly out and back-to-back strikeouts.
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Nick Kurtz fired a solo shot over the right field wall to put Wake Forest's lead back to seven (8-1) after four full innings.
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Sullivan responded in the top of the fifth with a scoreless inning, forcing a pop up and striking out his ninth Notre Dame batter before working around a two-out single with a fielder's choice.
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After the Deacs were kept off the scoreboard to end the fifth, Sullivan threw another 1-2-3 frame with two more strikeouts and a fly out.
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Wake Forest plated three runs in the bottom half to extend its lead to double-digits (11-1).
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Two Notre Dame errors placed runners on the corners before Tommy Hawke notched an RBI-double to right center field.
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Bennett followed that up with a two-RBI single to clear the bases and make it a 10-run game.
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Seth Keener took over on the mound and tossed a scoreless seventh and eighth innings with four strikeouts.
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A Nick Kurtz RBI-single increased the Demon Deacon advantage to 12-1 in Wake Forest's final offensive opportunity.
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After Kurtz's third hit of the game, the Deacs loaded the bases after Wilken was hit by a pitch and Cecere walked. A deep fly out to center field ended the frame.
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Notre Dame added two runs in the top of the ninth with a two-run home run with two outs. Joe Ariola struck out a batter to end the game and clinch Wake Forest's second series victory of the season.
Words From Walter
"Any time you get seven innings out of one starter with one run allowed and six innings out of another with one run allowed, you're going to have a really chance to win two ball games. I was really pleased with our pitching. The bullpen was good in game one as well. Cole Roland got us a couple big outs and then Cam got us four outs to end the game.
"Offensively, we didn't do a whole lot in game one but we certainly did enough to get the win. We didn't stack a ton of quality at-bats. We got a big homer from Kurtzy there to give us a little cushion. I was really pleased with our at-bats in the second game. I thought our at-bats against a super talented talented arm like Bedford were good. More like the Liberty game as far as the quality of our at-bats early. Keener threw the ball well today. I was pleased with him. Joe is going to be a guy. I told him Teddy McGraw looked like this in the beginning of his freshman year and by the end of the year he was our best guy out of the bullpen. Joe's going to be a big piece of this. Any time you can win two league games in one day, it's a heck of a good day. We will have to come ready to play tomorrow."
Standout Stat
Wake Forest has won at least 18 of its first 20 games for just the second time in program history, joining the 1949 Deacs, who hold the program's best open to a campaign at 20-0.
With its 13th win of the season against Cornell on March 5, this year's squad also joined the 1949 ballclub as the only two Demon Deacon baseball teams to open a season 13-0.
The Deacs are now 14-0 home this season, outscoring opponents 151-29 inside the friendly confines of The Couch. Since last year, Wake Forest has posted a 40-7-1 record and outscoring opponents, 462-167, in home games.
This year's team is believed to be the only Demon Deacon baseball squad to win its first 14 home games to begin a season.
Wake Forest has outscored opponents by double-digits in six innings this season.
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Wake Forest Scoring Summary by Inning (Wake Forest-Opponent)
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First Inning: 41-7
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Second Inning: 24-9
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Third Inning: 30-8
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Fourth Inning: 32-7
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Fifth Inning: 30-10
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Sixth Inning: 18-1
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Seventh Inning: 15-6
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Eighth Inning: 19-13
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Ninth Inning: 2-5
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Fast starts have been one of the major factors to Wake Forest's early success this year as the Deacs have outscored opponents 95-24 in the opening three innings this season.
Wake Forest has been patient at the plate as the Deacs have been walked 149 times, the most in the nation.
Overall this season, the Demon Deacons are +99 in walks compared to their opponents.
In The Spotlight
Reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year Rhett Lowder earned his fourth win of 2023 and the 19th victory of his career after fanning seven batters in seven strong innings in the first game of Saturday's twin bill. Lowder has now started the last two seasons 4-0.
Additionally, Lowder is now just three victories away from entering the top 10 for career wins in program history.
Wake Forest Career Wins
1. John Hendricks (1996-99)- 34
2. Kyle Sleeth (2001-03)- 31
3. Frank Humber (1986-89)- 29
4. Parker Dunshee (2014-17)- 28
5. Scott Siemon (1998-01)- 25
Mike MacDougal (1997-99)- 25
7. Marc Palmieri (1990-93)- 24
8. Eric Schmitt (1997-00)- 23
9. Warren Newton (1978-81)-22
Moe Bauer (1947-50)- 22
– Rhett Lowder (2021-Pres.)- 19
Lowder is just 13 strikeouts away from entering the top 10 in career strikeouts.
Dating back to last season, Lowder has allowed three earned runs or less in 19 of his last 21 starts and has gone at least six innings in 14 starts.
A staple out of Wake Forest's bullpen the last two seasons, Camden Minacci earned the fifth save of his junior season after inducing the final four outs of the series opener on Saturday.
Over the course of his career, Minacci has registered 13 saves as the Tampa, Fla. native moved into solo possession of the eight-most saves by a Demon Deacon ever.
Most Saves by a Demon Deacon
1. Dave Bush 1999-02 38
2. Michael Dimock 2009-12 19
3. Keith Ksansnak 1983-86 17
4. Ben Hunter 2006-08 16
Bret Wagner 1992-94 16
Buddy Jenkins 1987-91 16
7. Frank Humber 1986-89 15
8. Camden Minacci 2021-Pres. 13
9. Chuck Irving 1976-77 12
Aaron Fossas 2012-16 12
Sean Sullivan earned his third win of the 2023 season, tossing seven innings while striking out a career-high tying 11 strikeouts, his fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the season.
In five appearances, Sullivan has registered a 1.75 ERA in 25.2 innings to go along with 50 strikeouts, five earned runs and six walks allowed. Additionally, opponents are batting just .111 against the lefthander.
Coming into the weekend, Wake Forest's weekend rotation of Lowder, Sullivan and Josh Hartle all ranked in the top five in the ACC in punchouts among multiple other categories.
On Deck
The Demon Deacons look to sweep its first ACC series of the season on Sunday, March 19 at 1 p.m. against the Fighting Irish.
The contest will be available on ACC Network Extra. Additionally, fans can tune into an audio streaming broadcast through the Wake Forest Athletics app.
Stay tuned to the Demon Deacons social media accounts (@WakeBaseball) for all in-game updates and information.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lowder, Rhett (4-0)
L: Jackson Dennies (0-2)
S: Minacci, Camden (5)
Batting:
2B: Danny Neri 1
RBI: Estevan Moreno 1
SH: TJ Williams 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Danny Neri 1
HBP: Brooks Coetzee 1 ; TJ Williams 1
Batting:
2B: Johnson, Justin 1
3B: Houston, Marek 1
HR: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Johnson, Justin 1
RBI: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Johnson, Justin 1 ; Cueto, Gio 1 ; Houston, Marek 1
SH: Bennett, Pierce 1 ; Corona, Danny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kurtz, Nick 1 ; Johnson, Justin 2 ; Cueto, Gio 1
HBP: Wilken, Brock 1
