Friday, May 5
Winston-Salem, N.C.
8:00 p.m.
Wake Forest University
38-6, 17-4
6
vs
0
Boston College
29-15, 13-12
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
BC
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
0
Wake Forest
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
2
0
6
8
1
No. 2 Wake Forest Shuts Out No. 17 Boston College to Claim Series Opener
5/5/2023 11:57:00 PM | Baseball
Rhett Lowder tossed seven scoreless frames to move to 10-0 on the season while Nick Kurtz launched a pair of solo home runs in the Friday night victory.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – In front of an electric crowd at David F. Couch Ballpark, the second-ranked Wake Forest baseball team won its seventh game against a ranked opponent, shutting out No. 17 Boston College, 6-0, on Friday night.
Dating back to last year, the Deacs (38-6, 17-4 ACC) are 51-8-1 at David F. Couch Ballpark, highlighted by its impressive 25-1 mark this year.
Overall, the Deacs have outscored opponents, 572-189, at The Couch since last year.
Wake Forest leads the nation in wins and winning percentage. Additionally, the Deacs lead the ACC in conference wins.
Additionally, the six-run win marked the Demon Deacons' 11th-straight home victory.
Wake Forest extended its current win streak to six games. Over the course of the streak (49 innings), Wake Forest has outscored opponents by a margin of 90-11.
Rhett Lowder and Michael Massey combined to register Wake Forest's third shutout in ACC play (seventh overall) as the duo fanned 13 while walking just two batters.
Lowder moved to 10-0 on the season after throwing seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts while conceding just five hits and one walk.
The Albemarle, N.C. native became just the fourth pitcher in program history to post double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons and stands as the only hurler in a power five conference with a perfect 10-0 record this season.
Additionally, Lowder now ranks fifth in Wake Forest history in career wins and strikeouts.
Massey finished the job on the mound in the eighth and ninth, tallying four strikeouts with just one base runner allowed.
Offensively, Wake Forest tacked on its first three with two outs, beginning with a 462-foot blast from Nick Kurtz in the first inning.
In the bottom of the third, Tommy Hawke hit his third long fly of the season before Justin Johnson knocked in an RBI-single in the bottom of the fourth.
The Deacs extended its lead thanks to a bases-loaded walk drawn by Brock Wilken in the fifth before closing out its scoring with solo home runs from Kurtz and Johnson in the eighth.
How It Happened
"Good team win against a good team in BC. Rhett Lowder was the story. We're 12-0 in games this year that Rhett starts. It's always good to have that guy on the mound. He battled. In the first five innings, he had the leadoff hitter reach base. Three of those were in shutdown innings. I give Rhett a ton of credit for working around a little bit of trouble. Give Boston College credit for putting base runners on against him and taking good swings. I was happy with the way Michael Massey came in and threw behind Rhett.
"Our offense was just okay and we're honestly always like this during that first game out of final exams. We kind of always scuffle a little bit but we did enough. We had a bunch of two-out RBIs. Kurtzy's home run in the first. Tommy's home run in the third. JJ's single in the fourth. Four of our six runs came out with two outs so certainly pleased about that. Defensively, we had a really good day. Brock made a great play on a slow roller in the second. JJ made a great play coming across the bag. Marek made a great play after a ball ricocheted off Brock and then Kurtzy made a good sliding catch at first base to lead off the eighth . Those four really good defensive plays were really huge. It was an all-around good team win and we've got a mostly rested bullpen for tomorrow, so that's exciting. "
Standout Stats
Over its six-game winning streak (49 innings), Wake Forest has outscored opponents by a margin of 90-11. The Deacs have hit 20 homers and have allowed just 32 hits with 12 strikeouts per game on the mound during that stretch.
Wake Forest has outscored opponents by double-digits in eight innings this season.
Wake Forest Scoring Summary by Inning (Wake Forest-Opponent)
Wake Forest has scored in the first inning in 27 games this season, posting a 24-3 record in those games. Additionally, the Deacs are 28-3 when they score first.
Much of Wake Forest's success has been fast starts as the Deacs have outscored opponents by a mark of 174-42 in the opening three innings.
In the Spotlight
Reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year Rhett Lowder earned his 10th win of 2023 and the 25th victory of his career after tossing seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and just five hits and one walk allowed.
Lowder is the only pitcher in a power five conference with a 10-0 record this season.
Additionally, Lowder became just the fourth pitcher in Wake Forest history to post back-to-back double-digit win seasons. (Kyle Sleeth: 2001-02, John Hendricks: 1998-99 and Scott Siemon: 1999-2000).
Wake Forest Single Season Wins
1. Kyle Sleeth 2002 14
2. Mike MacDougal1999 13
John Hendricks 1998 13
4. Scott Siemon 1999 12
5. Rhett Lowder 2022 11
Scott Siemon 2000 11
Moe Bauer 1950 11
8. Rhett Lowder 2023 10
Parker Dunshee 2016 10
Kyle Sleeth 2001 10
John Hendricks 1999 10
Jeremy Ward 1998 10
Ross Atkins 1995 10
Mike Buddie 1992 10
Lefty Davis 1955 10
The Friday performance helped Lowder move into a tie with Scott Siemon and Mike MacDougal for the fifth-most career wins by a Demon Deacon ever. Additionally, the righthander's 25 wins are tied for the second-most victories among active pitchers in Division I baseball.
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. Rhett Lowder (2021-Pres.)- 25
Scott Siemon (1998-01)- 25
Mike MacDougal (1997-99)- 25
Additionally, with nine strikeouts tonight, Lowder (273 career strikeouts) is in sole possession of the fifth-most strikeouts by a Demon Deacon ever. This mark is good for sixth among active pitchers in Division I baseball.
Wake Forest Career Strikeouts
1. Parker Dunshee 2014-17 330
2. John Hendricks1996-99 312
3. Mike MacDougal1997-99 288
4. Buddy Jenkins 1987-91 277
5. Rhett Lowder 2021-Pres 273
6. Kyle Sleeth 2001-03 271
7. Frank Humber 1986-89 266
8. Ross Atkins 1992-95 250
9. Dave Bush 1999-02 249
10. Tim Cooney 2010-12 235
Mike Buddie 1990-92 235
This season, the reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year has accumulated a 1.68 ERA in 75.2 innings to go along with 90 strikeouts.
Dating back to last season, Lowder has allowed three earned runs or less in 27 of his last 29 starts and has gone at least six innings in 20 starts.
On Deck
Wake Forest looks to claim its eighth ACC series of the season on Saturday, May 6 against Boston College at 4 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Wake Forest will don lavender jerseys in game two in support of epilepsy awareness. Earlier this season, the Demon Deacons hosted an Epilepsy Awareness Game and raised over $17,000 to benefit the Epilepsy Alliance of NC.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Dating back to last year, the Deacs (38-6, 17-4 ACC) are 51-8-1 at David F. Couch Ballpark, highlighted by its impressive 25-1 mark this year.
Overall, the Deacs have outscored opponents, 572-189, at The Couch since last year.
Wake Forest leads the nation in wins and winning percentage. Additionally, the Deacs lead the ACC in conference wins.
Additionally, the six-run win marked the Demon Deacons' 11th-straight home victory.
Wake Forest extended its current win streak to six games. Over the course of the streak (49 innings), Wake Forest has outscored opponents by a margin of 90-11.
Rhett Lowder and Michael Massey combined to register Wake Forest's third shutout in ACC play (seventh overall) as the duo fanned 13 while walking just two batters.
Lowder moved to 10-0 on the season after throwing seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts while conceding just five hits and one walk.
The Albemarle, N.C. native became just the fourth pitcher in program history to post double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons and stands as the only hurler in a power five conference with a perfect 10-0 record this season.
Additionally, Lowder now ranks fifth in Wake Forest history in career wins and strikeouts.
Massey finished the job on the mound in the eighth and ninth, tallying four strikeouts with just one base runner allowed.
Offensively, Wake Forest tacked on its first three with two outs, beginning with a 462-foot blast from Nick Kurtz in the first inning.
In the bottom of the third, Tommy Hawke hit his third long fly of the season before Justin Johnson knocked in an RBI-single in the bottom of the fourth.
The Deacs extended its lead thanks to a bases-loaded walk drawn by Brock Wilken in the fifth before closing out its scoring with solo home runs from Kurtz and Johnson in the eighth.
How It Happened
- The first pair of Eagles reached base with back-to-back singles to open the game. Rhett Lowder responded with a strikeout and an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
- Nick Kurtz blasted a 462-foot solo home run over the right field wall with two outs in the bottom of the first to give Wake Forest an early 1-0 lead.
- Lowder worked another scoreless frame in the second as the righthander worked around a leadoff walk with two groundouts and his second strikeout.
- After being held off the scoreboard at the plate, Lowder tossed a perfect 1-2-3 third with two groundouts and his third strikeout of his start.
- A Tommy Hawke solo homer doubled Wake Forest's lead (2-0) after three full innings.
- Lowder notched another shutdown inning to open the fourth, working around a leadoff single with a flyout and back-to-back ground outs.
- Justin Johnson notched Wake Forest's third two-out RBI of the night in the bottom of the fourth as the redshirt junior singled to left field, scoring Brock Wilken (double) and increasing Wake Forest's lead to 3-0.
- Lowder struck out back-to-back Eagles to strand a pair and notch another shutdown inning in the top of the fifth to preserve Wake Forest's 3-0 advantage.
- Wilken picked up an RBI with a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fifth after back-to-back singles from Marek Houston and Hawke as well as a five-pitch walk to Kurtz to expand the Wake Forest lead to 4-0.
- Lowder continued to get stronger as the game moved forward, retiring the Eagles in order with back-to-back strikeouts and a fly out in the top of the sixth.
- After Wake Forest was retired in order to end the sixth, Lowder notched another multi-strikeout inning in the seventh to help Wake Forest maintain its 4-0 lead.
- This marked the righthander's eighth and ninth strikeouts of his start.
- Michael Massey continued the momentum on the mound in the eighth, retiring Boston College in order with a fly out in foul territory, line out and strikeout.
- The Demon Deacons extended its lead to 6-0 with solo long flies from Kurtz and Johnson in the bottom of the eighth.
- Massey returned in the ninth and completed the shutout with three-straight strikeouts.
"Good team win against a good team in BC. Rhett Lowder was the story. We're 12-0 in games this year that Rhett starts. It's always good to have that guy on the mound. He battled. In the first five innings, he had the leadoff hitter reach base. Three of those were in shutdown innings. I give Rhett a ton of credit for working around a little bit of trouble. Give Boston College credit for putting base runners on against him and taking good swings. I was happy with the way Michael Massey came in and threw behind Rhett.
"Our offense was just okay and we're honestly always like this during that first game out of final exams. We kind of always scuffle a little bit but we did enough. We had a bunch of two-out RBIs. Kurtzy's home run in the first. Tommy's home run in the third. JJ's single in the fourth. Four of our six runs came out with two outs so certainly pleased about that. Defensively, we had a really good day. Brock made a great play on a slow roller in the second. JJ made a great play coming across the bag. Marek made a great play after a ball ricocheted off Brock and then Kurtzy made a good sliding catch at first base to lead off the eighth . Those four really good defensive plays were really huge. It was an all-around good team win and we've got a mostly rested bullpen for tomorrow, so that's exciting. "
Standout Stats
Over its six-game winning streak (49 innings), Wake Forest has outscored opponents by a margin of 90-11. The Deacs have hit 20 homers and have allowed just 32 hits with 12 strikeouts per game on the mound during that stretch.
Wake Forest has outscored opponents by double-digits in eight innings this season.
Wake Forest Scoring Summary by Inning (Wake Forest-Opponent)
- First Inning: 77-13
- Second Inning: 40-16
- Third Inning: 57-13
- Fourth Inning: 54-19
- Fifth Inning: 72-23
- Sixth Inning: 35-10
- Seventh Inning: 37-9
- Eighth Inning: 36-16
- Ninth Inning: 11-12
Wake Forest has scored in the first inning in 27 games this season, posting a 24-3 record in those games. Additionally, the Deacs are 28-3 when they score first.
Much of Wake Forest's success has been fast starts as the Deacs have outscored opponents by a mark of 174-42 in the opening three innings.
In the Spotlight
Reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year Rhett Lowder earned his 10th win of 2023 and the 25th victory of his career after tossing seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and just five hits and one walk allowed.
Lowder is the only pitcher in a power five conference with a 10-0 record this season.
Additionally, Lowder became just the fourth pitcher in Wake Forest history to post back-to-back double-digit win seasons. (Kyle Sleeth: 2001-02, John Hendricks: 1998-99 and Scott Siemon: 1999-2000).
Wake Forest Single Season Wins
1. Kyle Sleeth 2002 14
2. Mike MacDougal1999 13
John Hendricks 1998 13
4. Scott Siemon 1999 12
5. Rhett Lowder 2022 11
Scott Siemon 2000 11
Moe Bauer 1950 11
8. Rhett Lowder 2023 10
Parker Dunshee 2016 10
Kyle Sleeth 2001 10
John Hendricks 1999 10
Jeremy Ward 1998 10
Ross Atkins 1995 10
Mike Buddie 1992 10
Lefty Davis 1955 10
The Friday performance helped Lowder move into a tie with Scott Siemon and Mike MacDougal for the fifth-most career wins by a Demon Deacon ever. Additionally, the righthander's 25 wins are tied for the second-most victories among active pitchers in Division I baseball.
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. Rhett Lowder (2021-Pres.)- 25
Scott Siemon (1998-01)- 25
Mike MacDougal (1997-99)- 25
Additionally, with nine strikeouts tonight, Lowder (273 career strikeouts) is in sole possession of the fifth-most strikeouts by a Demon Deacon ever. This mark is good for sixth among active pitchers in Division I baseball.
Wake Forest Career Strikeouts
1. Parker Dunshee 2014-17 330
2. John Hendricks1996-99 312
3. Mike MacDougal1997-99 288
4. Buddy Jenkins 1987-91 277
5. Rhett Lowder 2021-Pres 273
6. Kyle Sleeth 2001-03 271
7. Frank Humber 1986-89 266
8. Ross Atkins 1992-95 250
9. Dave Bush 1999-02 249
10. Tim Cooney 2010-12 235
Mike Buddie 1990-92 235
This season, the reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year has accumulated a 1.68 ERA in 75.2 innings to go along with 90 strikeouts.
Dating back to last season, Lowder has allowed three earned runs or less in 27 of his last 29 starts and has gone at least six innings in 20 starts.
On Deck
Wake Forest looks to claim its eighth ACC series of the season on Saturday, May 6 against Boston College at 4 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Wake Forest will don lavender jerseys in game two in support of epilepsy awareness. Earlier this season, the Demon Deacons hosted an Epilepsy Awareness Game and raised over $17,000 to benefit the Epilepsy Alliance of NC.
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lowder, Rhett (10-0)
L: Henry Leake (3-4)
Base Running:
HBP: Cohl Mercado 1
Batting:
2B: Wilken, Brock 1
HR: Hawke, Tommy 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 2 ; Johnson, Justin 1
RBI: Hawke, Tommy 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 2 ; Wilken, Brock 1 ; Johnson, Justin 2
SH: Costello, Lucas 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hawke, Tommy 1 ; Kurtz, Nick 2 ; Wilken, Brock 1 ; Johnson, Justin 1 ; Houston, Marek 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF/INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF/INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF/C
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