Wednesday, April 19
Winston-Salem, N.C.
6:00 p.m.
Wake Forest University
7
vs
4
Liberty
No. 2 Wake Forest Sweeps Season Series Against Liberty with 7-4 Midweek Victory
4/19/2023 10:13:00 PM | Baseball
A four-run seventh helped Wake Forest move to 21-1 at home this season.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – In front of the largest midweek crowd of the 2023 season, the second-ranked Wake Forest baseball team used a four-run seventh inning to defeat Liberty, 7-4, on Tuesday night inside David F. Couch Ballpark to sweep the season series against its non-conference foe.
Over the last two seasons, the Deacs (32-5, 14-3 ACC) have compiled a 47-8-1 record inside David F. Couch Ballpark, highlighted by its 21-1 mark this year.
Overall, the Deacs have outscored opponents, 521-183, at The Couch since last year.
Currently, Wake Forest's winning percentage (.864) is the highest in the nation and is tied for the nation's lead in wins (Virginia, 32).
Brock Wilken opened the scoring for Wake Forest as his first inning home run gave the Demon Deacons a 3-1 advantage. Wednesday's blast puts Wilken one home run shy of tying the Wake Forest career home run record.
After three-straight zeroes from Wake Forest relievers, the Deacs were able to regain the lead in the seventh as Nick Kurtz launched a sky-high home run over the fence in right field, scoring Lucas Costello. Later in the frame, a Justin Johnson single and Bennett Lee sacrifice fly gave Wake Forest a 7-4 advantage.
Reed Mascolo made his 10th start of the year tossing 3.2 innings, highlighted by retiring five-straight hitters across the second, third and fourth frames.
The Wake Forest bullpen tossed a combined 5.1 innings, allowing zero runs and only five base runners while striking out eight Liberty hitters. This performance included appearances from Michael Massey, Cole Roland, Will Ray, Derek Crum and Camden Minacci.
Massey, Roland, Crum, and Minacci all struck out a pair of Flames hitters in their relief appearances.
Ray recorded the final out in the seventh frame to earn his first career win.
Minacci, who recorded all three outs in the ninth, earned his 10th save of the 2023 season and 18th of his career to clinch the midweek victory.
How It Happened
"Good win. The bullpen was outstanding today. Michael Massey and Cole Roland were really good. Will Ray gets us a big out. Derek Crum gets us a big zero. Cam Minacci in the ninth was as good as he's been all year. Obviously, you do not like to see a leadoff walk, but other than that I thought Minacci was electric tonight.
"Good to see Nick Kurtz and Adam Cecere back in the lineup. Kurtz with the big homerun to put us up. Brock Wilken with a big homerun in the first. Justin Johnson with a big at-bat to single home a run. Good baserunning by Wilken to score and Pierce Bennett to get to third and Johnson to move up to second.
"I feel, situationally, we left a couple runs out there. We left a bases-loaded situation with one out and did not score. Second and third with no outs and only scored one. We were hoping not to burn Cam Minacci there, but at least we got through it without using Seth Keener which gets us ready for Friday. Good team win."
In The Spotlight
After setting career highs in hits (69). home runs (23), RBIs (77) and doubles (13) in 2022, Brock Wilken looks to cement himself as one of the best hitters in Wake Forest history this season.
With his 17th home run of the season on Tuesday night, Wilken ranks first in the ACC in HRs and has hit the most career long flies among active players in Division I baseball.
After hitting the most home runs by a Demon Deacon in their first two seasons ever, Wilken's 57 career home runs are the second-most long flies by a Demon Deacon ever. The Valrico, Fla. native is just two home runs away from breaking the program record.
Wake Forest Career Home Runs
1. Jamie D'Antona 2001-03 58
2. Brock Wilken 2021-Pres. 57
3. Jake Austin 1989-92 55
Wilken has posted a .316 batting average with 42 hits, eight doubles, 51 RBIs, 36 walks, 49 runs scored (the most in the ACC) and a .759 slugging percentage.
The junior has reached base in 34 games and tallied a career-high 13 game hit streak this season. Additionally, Wilken has posted a team-high 18 multi-RBI games.
Wilken needs 38 more base knocks to join the 200-hit club.
A staple out of Wake Forest's bullpen the last two seasons, Camden Minacci earned the 10th save of his junior season after inducing the final three outs of Tuesday's midweek victory. The career-best mark leads the ACC and is tied for third in the nation. Additionally, Minacci moved into a tie for the seventh-most saves in a single season by a Demon Deacon.
The Tampa, Fla. native moved into a tie for the ninth-most saves in program history.
Wake Forest Baseball Single Season Saves
Wake Forest travels to Pittsburgh, Pa. for its seventh ACC series of the season on Friday, April 21-Sunday, April 23.
The series opener is scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Friday, April 21 on ACC Network Extra.
Game two will be Saturday, April 22 at 4 p.m. on ACC Network before the teams close out the series on Sunday, April 23 at 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Over the last two seasons, the Deacs (32-5, 14-3 ACC) have compiled a 47-8-1 record inside David F. Couch Ballpark, highlighted by its 21-1 mark this year.
Overall, the Deacs have outscored opponents, 521-183, at The Couch since last year.
Currently, Wake Forest's winning percentage (.864) is the highest in the nation and is tied for the nation's lead in wins (Virginia, 32).
Brock Wilken opened the scoring for Wake Forest as his first inning home run gave the Demon Deacons a 3-1 advantage. Wednesday's blast puts Wilken one home run shy of tying the Wake Forest career home run record.
After three-straight zeroes from Wake Forest relievers, the Deacs were able to regain the lead in the seventh as Nick Kurtz launched a sky-high home run over the fence in right field, scoring Lucas Costello. Later in the frame, a Justin Johnson single and Bennett Lee sacrifice fly gave Wake Forest a 7-4 advantage.
Reed Mascolo made his 10th start of the year tossing 3.2 innings, highlighted by retiring five-straight hitters across the second, third and fourth frames.
The Wake Forest bullpen tossed a combined 5.1 innings, allowing zero runs and only five base runners while striking out eight Liberty hitters. This performance included appearances from Michael Massey, Cole Roland, Will Ray, Derek Crum and Camden Minacci.
Massey, Roland, Crum, and Minacci all struck out a pair of Flames hitters in their relief appearances.
Ray recorded the final out in the seventh frame to earn his first career win.
Minacci, who recorded all three outs in the ninth, earned his 10th save of the 2023 season and 18th of his career to clinch the midweek victory.
How It Happened
- Liberty took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
- A fielding error allowed the opening base runner of the game to reach safely. The Flames' first base hit of the game put runners on the corners. A 6-4-3 double play allowed Liberty to score.
- Reed Mascolo forced an inning-ending fly out to Lucas Costello in left field to strand a Liberty base runner.
- The Deacs answered in the next half inning, taking a 3-1 lead thanks to a three-run home run from Brock Wilken.
- Wilken's 17th home run of the season plated Tommy Hawke (hit by pitch) and Nick Kurtz (eight-pitch walk).
- A two-run home run by the Flames tied the game at three at the midway point of the second.
- Bennett Lee caught a Liberty base runner trying to steal second for the final out of the frame.
- Marek Houston fired a two-out single to right field in the bottom of the inning, but a groundout ended the frame.
- Mascolo tossed a perfect three-up, three-down inning in the top of the third with a strikeout and two fly outs as the game remained tied at three.
- Liberty regained a one-run lead (4-3) with a solo home run to center field with two outs. Michael Massey took over and fanned the only batter he faced to strand a base runner at first.
- The Deacs loaded the bases with one out thanks to back-to-back walks to Lee and Houston as well as a base hit from Hawke. A double play ended the scoring chance.
- Massey notched a scoreless top of the fifth. Hawke made a diving catch in left center for the opening out before Massey fanned his second batter of the game. Lee caught another Liberty base runner trying to steal second to end the frame.
- Wake Forest put two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth as Kurtz walked and Johnson doubled down the left field line, but a strikeout ended the scoring opportunity.
- Cole Roland took over on the mound in the top of the sixth and notched a scoreless inning, highlighted by a strikeout.
- Roland and William Ray combined to toss Wake Forest's third-straight scoreless frame in the top of the seventh.
- Roland induced the only two outs with a strikeout and groundout. After a double and a walk, Ray took over and stranded both runners with a pop up to Kurtz at first.
- Wake Forest regained its first lead (7-4) since the first inning with four runs on three hits in the bottom of the seventh.
- Kurtz launched a two-run home run to give Wake Forest a one-run lead before an RBI-single from Johnson and sacrifice fly from Lee plated two additional insurance runs.
- Costello led off the inning with a single to center and was brought home on Kurtz's 11th long fly of the year.
- Derek Crum registered a shutdown inning in the top of the eighth on just eight pitches as the left hander struck out the first two batters he faced before inducing an inning-ending fly out.
- Wake Forest was held scoreless in the bottom of the eighth.
- Camden Minacci recorded three outs in the top of the ninth courtesy of two strikeouts and a groundout to secure the Wake Forest 7-4 win.
"Good win. The bullpen was outstanding today. Michael Massey and Cole Roland were really good. Will Ray gets us a big out. Derek Crum gets us a big zero. Cam Minacci in the ninth was as good as he's been all year. Obviously, you do not like to see a leadoff walk, but other than that I thought Minacci was electric tonight.
"Good to see Nick Kurtz and Adam Cecere back in the lineup. Kurtz with the big homerun to put us up. Brock Wilken with a big homerun in the first. Justin Johnson with a big at-bat to single home a run. Good baserunning by Wilken to score and Pierce Bennett to get to third and Johnson to move up to second.
"I feel, situationally, we left a couple runs out there. We left a bases-loaded situation with one out and did not score. Second and third with no outs and only scored one. We were hoping not to burn Cam Minacci there, but at least we got through it without using Seth Keener which gets us ready for Friday. Good team win."
In The Spotlight
After setting career highs in hits (69). home runs (23), RBIs (77) and doubles (13) in 2022, Brock Wilken looks to cement himself as one of the best hitters in Wake Forest history this season.
With his 17th home run of the season on Tuesday night, Wilken ranks first in the ACC in HRs and has hit the most career long flies among active players in Division I baseball.
After hitting the most home runs by a Demon Deacon in their first two seasons ever, Wilken's 57 career home runs are the second-most long flies by a Demon Deacon ever. The Valrico, Fla. native is just two home runs away from breaking the program record.
Wake Forest Career Home Runs
1. Jamie D'Antona 2001-03 58
2. Brock Wilken 2021-Pres. 57
3. Jake Austin 1989-92 55
Wilken has posted a .316 batting average with 42 hits, eight doubles, 51 RBIs, 36 walks, 49 runs scored (the most in the ACC) and a .759 slugging percentage.
The junior has reached base in 34 games and tallied a career-high 13 game hit streak this season. Additionally, Wilken has posted a team-high 18 multi-RBI games.
Wilken needs 38 more base knocks to join the 200-hit club.
A staple out of Wake Forest's bullpen the last two seasons, Camden Minacci earned the 10th save of his junior season after inducing the final three outs of Tuesday's midweek victory. The career-best mark leads the ACC and is tied for third in the nation. Additionally, Minacci moved into a tie for the seventh-most saves in a single season by a Demon Deacon.
The Tampa, Fla. native moved into a tie for the ninth-most saves in program history.
Wake Forest Baseball Single Season Saves
- 1. Dave Bush 2001 16
- 2. Ben Hunter 2006 14
- Buddy Jenkins 1991 14
- 4. Dave Bush 2002 13
- 5. Michael Dimock 2012 12
- Frank Humber 1989 12
- 7. Camden Minacci 2021-Pres 10
- Bret Wagner 1993 10
- Aaron Fossas 2014 10
- 9. William Fleming 2019 9
- Will Craig 2016 9
- Josh Ellis 2007 9
- Most Career Saves by a Demon Deacon
- 1. Dave Bush 1999-02 38
- 2. Michael Dimock 2009-12 19
- 3. Camden Minacci 2021-pres. 18
Wake Forest travels to Pittsburgh, Pa. for its seventh ACC series of the season on Friday, April 21-Sunday, April 23.
The series opener is scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Friday, April 21 on ACC Network Extra.
Game two will be Saturday, April 22 at 4 p.m. on ACC Network before the teams close out the series on Sunday, April 23 at 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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