No. 19 Wake Forest Drops NCAA Regional Opener, 1-0

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The No. 19 Wake Forest baseball team dropped the opening game of the NCAA Greenville Regional 1-0 against VCU Friday night at Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The Demon Deacons (38-21) will return to action tomorrow at noon in game three of the Greenville Regional against host East Carolina.

On the mound, graduate transfer David Falco Jr. earned his fifth start of the season and had a career day with 10 strikeouts through 4.2 innings of work and allowed just one run on two hits and zero walks. His 10 punchouts of Ram (38-21) batters marked a career-high, surpassing his previous mark of seven which came against the Demon Deacons in the 2022 NCAA Regional when he was with Maryland.

As a team, the Deacs combined for 11 total strikeouts as they have now fanned at least 10 batters in 38 of their 59 games so far this season. Entering Friday, Wake Forest led the ACC and ranked second nationally with 11.9 strikeouts-per-nine. Additionally, it marked the second time this season the Demon Deacons didn't issue a walk.

In relief, junior Will Ray and freshman Josh Gunther combined for 2.1 scoreless innings allowing just one baserunner. Sophomore Zach Johnston and graduate student Cole Roland each tossed a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the eighth and ninth, respectively, to keep it a 1-0 ballgame.

Freshman Antonio Morales continued his strong second half of the season with a pair of hits, including a double in the bottom of the fifth. It marked his sixth multi-hit game of the campaign and first since May 12 against Clemson.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Graduate transfer righthander David Falco Jr. tossed a perfect top of the first inning, striking out the final two batters to send the game scoreless into the Wake Forest bottom half of the inning.
The Demon Deacons also went down in order as after one inning the game remained, 0-0.
Falco fanned two more batters and retired the final batter on a weak groundout back to the mound, setting down the Rams in order for the second-straight inning.
Wake Forest was retired in order as the game remained 0-0 after two innings.
Through three innings pitched, Falco had tied his career strikeout total, striking out the side including getting a swinging strikeout on 3-2 counts for his last two punchouts.
- His other seven-plus strikeout performance came against Wake Forest in the 2022 NCAA Regional when Falco was a member of the Maryland Terrapins.
Freshman Antonio Morales registered the first hit of the game to lead off the bottom of the third, beating out an infield single to the right side of the infield.
- Morales advanced to second on a one-out balk call, but was stranded as the third finished tied, 0-0.
Falco added two more strikeouts, moving his total to a career-high nine punchouts through 4.0 innings pitched.
Wake Forest went down in order and the game remained tied through four innings of play, 0-0.
Flaco finished his night with a career-high 4.2 innings pitched, allowing his lone run in the fifth inning on two hits and zero walks while striking out a career-best 10 batters.
- Junior righthander Will Ray entered with two outs in the top of the fifth, getting the final out via a popout to junior first baseman Nick Kurtz.
Trailing 1-0 going into the bottom of the fifth, Morales registered his second hit of the game, lining a double into the left center gap with two outs.
- Morales was left at second as the game went to the sixth inning with the Deacs trailing, 1-0.
In his second inning on the mound, Ray got two quick outs with a flyout to center and a line drive stabbed by third baseman Seaver King before being lifted from the game.
- Freshman righthander Joshua Gunther entered the game with two outs, getting the first batter to ground out to graduate transfer Adam Tellier at second base to end the inning.
The Demon Deacons went down in order and it remained a 1-0 game through six innings.
Gunther made quick work in the seventh, setting down the Rams in order with a groundout to short, strikeout and a fly out to left.
King reached base with two outs in the seventh, reaching on an error to the shortstop.
- He was left stranded and the game entered the eighth, 1-0 VCU.
Sophomore lefthander Zach Johnston took the bump to start the eighth inning.
- He faced the minimum in the inning, inducing a groundball to Tellier who stepped on second and threw over to Kurtz at first to end the inning.
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth, catcher Cameron Gill worked a two-out walk and freshman Cam Nelson came into the game to pinch run.
- Marek Houston hit a fly ball to right field that ended the inning, 1-0 VCU.
Senior righthander Cole Roland came into the game on the mound for the top of the ninth.
- He retired the side in order including a pair of groundouts to Houston to end the inning.
With 2-3-4 due up in the bottom of the ninth for the Demon Deacons, Kurtz drew a leadoff walk.
- Winnay on a 0-2 pitch singled to right to put runners on first and second with no outs.
- The two runners were left stranded at first and second.
- The Demon Deacons fell, 1-0.

GREENVILLE REGIONAL RESULTS

Game 1: No. 4 Evansville defeated No. 1 ECU, 4-1 | Fri. May 31
Game 2: No. 3 VCU defeated No. 2 Wake Forest, 1-0 | Fri. May 31
Game 3: No. 1 ECU vs. No. 2 Wake Forest | Sat. June 1 | 12:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Game 4: No. 3 VCU vs. No. 4 Evansville | Sat. June 1 | 6:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 | Sun. June 2 | 12:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 | Sun. June 2 | 6:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+
*Game 7 (if necessary): Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 | Monday | TBD | ESPN+

FROM COACH WALTER
"Obviously, it's a very disappointing loss. If you would have told me we would only give up one run and lose, I wouldn't believe you. It wasn't a good enough approach offensively. Give Gordon credit, he was really good, but we had too many fly balls and too many strikeouts. We just didn't grind enough at-bats to get his pitch count up.

I'm proud of the way we pitched the ball. David Falco obviously gave us a great chance to win. He kinda just left a changeup up for that leadoff single in the fifth inning and then that stolen base came back to hurt us, but David was fantastic and so was our bullpen. Any game you give up three hits and one run, you expect to win that game.

Maybe we should have bunted Reinisch in the ninth inning, we certainly talked about it and thought about it, but we had that count where he wanted it and he's a good hitter, he just got underneath it a little bit.

We have Chase Burns going and have to find a way to win tomorrow and then see if Josh Hartle can win behind that." - head coach Tom Walter

UP NEXT
Wake Forest will now face ECU on Saturday, June 1 at 12:00 p.m. ET in game three of the Greenville Regional.

TV Designations will be announced following the completion of Friday night's action.

Stay tuned to Wake Forest's social media accounts (@WakeBaseball) for all in-game updates and information.

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Team Stats

Antonio Morales

Jack Winnay

Marek Houston

Nick Kurtz

Players Mentioned

Chase Burns

David Falco Jr.

Cameron Gill

Josh Gunther

Josh Hartle

Marek Houston

Zach Johnston

Seaver King

Nick Kurtz

Antonio Morales

Cam Nelson

Cole Roland

Adam Tellier

Wake Forest Athletics