Wake Forest Turns Attention to 2024 ACC Tournament

RALEIGH, N.C. – In the final regular-season contest of the season, the No. 8 Wake Forest baseball team dropped a 9-6 clash with No. 17 NC State on Saturday afternoon at Doak Field in Raleigh, N.C.

Offensively, four Demon Deacons (36-19, 15-15 ACC) collected multiple hits, including sophomore Jack Winnay and senior Jake Reinisch, who both went deep against the Wolfpack (32-19, 18-11 ACC). Wake Forest has now hit 105 home runs this season, which is just one behind the 2017 team for the third-most in program history.

Winnay became the second Demon Deacon to reach the 20-homer mark this campaign with a three-run blast in the top of the third. He has now homered in six of the last 10 outings and has racked up 14 RBI over the last eight. Winnay also drove a single through the right side of the infield in the fifth for his 18th multi-hit game of the year.

Reinisch opened the scoring with a solo shot to center field to leadoff the second inning. It marked his 17th homer of the campaign which ranks third on the team behind only junior Nick Kurtz (21) and Winnay (20). Additionally, his home run was his team-best 64th run driven in this season. He entered the weekend fifth in the ACC in RBIs and 13th in home runs.

With his triple in the top of the sixth, junior Seaver King has now reached base safely in 28-consecutive games with at least one hit in each of the last 14. Graduate transfer Adam Tellier notched his 22nd multi-hit game of the season and eighth with at least three as he picked up a trio of singles, including an RBI following King's triple. It marked his first three-hit game since the UNC-Greensboro clash on April 2.

In just his fifth-career start, freshman Liam Willson collected his second multi-hit game in his last four. The left fielder is 6-19 (.316) to open his collegiate career with seven runs batted in.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams went three up, three down in the first inning as Hartle needed just eight pitches to retire the top of the NC State order, including a strikeout.
Reinisch gave Wake Forest the lead with a solo shot to straight-away center field in the top of the second.
- It marked his team-best 64th run batted in this campaign and 17th home run.
The Wolfpack evened the contest at 1-1 in the bottom half of the inning.
The Deacs regained the lead in the third after a sacrifice fly from Kurtz scored freshman Liam Willson followed by a three-run home run from sophomore Jack Winnay.
- Winnay became the second Demon Deacon this campaign to reach the 20-homer mark, joining Kurtz (21).
Hartle pitched another scoreless frame in the bottom of the third and picked up his third strikeout of the afternoon.
Wake Forest extended its lead in the fourth as freshman Liam Willson notched his second hit of the game which plated Antonio Morales from first due to a fielding error in right field.
The Deacs led 5-1 heading into the fifth inning after a second-straight shutdown frame and another 1-2-3 inning from Hartle.
The Wolfpack tied the game once again with a four-run fifth inning.
Wake immediately answered on a first pitch leadoff triple from third baseman Seaver King and retook the lead on another first pitch ambush by second baseman Adam Tellier with a single back up the middle to plate King.
NC State answered with a solo home run to tie the game at 6-6 after six complete innings.
Freshman Josh Gunther entered the contest and tossed a three up, three down seventh inning as the teams remained tied at 6-6 entering the eighth.
The Wolfpack added three runs in the bottom half of the eighth inning and took a 9-6 lead into the ninth.
Wake Forest was unable to spark a rally and ultimately fell to NC State, 9-6.

FROM COACH WALTER
"We just gave them way too many free passes again in big situations. They took advantage of our mistakes and you have to give them credit for that. They're playing well right now. Those two freshmen lefty's that threw Thursday and today kind of both stoned us a little bit. It's disappointing. We have to have better at-bats there. We have a couple of days to get this right. It looks like it's us, Carolina and Pitt. We have to find a way to beat Pitt and have Chase Burns against North Carolina for a chance to go to the semifinal. I still think this team has a lot of great baseball left." - head coach Tom Walter

UP NEXT
Wake Forest awaits its fate at the 2024 ACC Baseball Championship in Charlotte from May 21-26.

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Team Stats

Adam Tellier

Jack Winnay

Jake Reinisch

Liam Willson

Players Mentioned

Chase Burns

Josh Gunther

Seaver King

Nick Kurtz

Antonio Morales

Jake Reinisch

Adam Tellier

Liam Willson

Jack Winnay

Wake Forest Athletics