No. 14 Demon Deacons Sweep Opening Day Doubleheader

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The No. 14 Wake Forest baseball team opened their 2025 regular season with wins over Long Island and Marist in an Opening Day doubleheader on Friday afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark.

The Demon Deacons (2-0) outscored their opponents 25-6 while hitting a combined 26-for-67 (.388 BA) across their opening two games.

In their opening game, the Deacs used a six-run fourth inning that included a 368-foot grand slam from junior Marek Houston, to pull away from LIU (1-1) for a 14-2 mercy-rule victory.

Junior Jack Winnay got the Deacs going in the first inning with a two-run double to drive in Houston and junior Ethan Conrad. Freshman Dalton Wentz then drove in another run with a single out into left field before sophomore Javar Williams hit a line drive to center to give the Deacs a 4-0 lead after the first inning.

The Deacs continued their offensive explosion in the third inning as Conrad recorded a sacrifice fly to score Winnay, making it 5-0. Wentz added his second RBI of the game on a double down the right field line to score sophomore Kade Lewis. Graduate student Matt Scannell grounded out into a fielder's choice to score another run before Houston closed out the inning with an RBI infield single to extend the Wake lead to 8-0.

Wake tacked on another six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 14-0. Wentz added his third RBI of the game with a double to get the Deacs rolling, while Williams added his second RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly into right to make it 10-0. Houston then ended the inning with his grand slam, as he finished the game with two hits and a team-high five RBIs.

On the mound, junior Logan Lunceford (1-0) made his first start in a Demon Deacon uniform, totaling seven strikeouts across four scoreless innings. Both graduate student Griffin Green and sophomore Nate Brittain also picked up a scoreless inning each in relief, as Green needed only 10 pitches to shut down the Sharks in the fifth inning, while Brittain closed the game for Wake Forest in the seventh.

In the second game, Wake Forest cruised to an 11-4 victory over Marist (0-2).

After falling behind 1-0, Wake Forest responded with three runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead. Houston drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at one before Conrad shot a two-run double into left field to break the deadlock.

The Demon Deacons added another run in the third inning as Lewis scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-2.
Wake Forest blew the game open with a four-run fourth inning to extend their lead to 8-2. Following another Conrad double and Winnay reaching on an error, Lewis singled to right to drive in Conrad from second to make it 5-2. Wentz added his fourth RBI of the game with an RBI single before Lewis scored on a groundout from Williams.

Freshman Matt Conte capped off the fourth inning with his first collegiate hit as he notched an RBI single into left field.

After the Red Foxes scored two runs in the top of the fifth, Houston launched his second home run of the day on a solo shot over the left field wall to make it 9-4 in the bottom half of the inning.

Wake added two more in the bottom of the seventh to extend the lead to 11-4 and go on to take the second game of the day by that score.

HOW IT HAPPENED (LIU)

Righthander Logan Lunceford started on the mound for the Deacs as he fanned two batters in a scoreless first inning.
The Deacs batted around in the first inning, taking a 4-0 lead:
- Following a Marek Houston walk and an Ethan Conrad double, first baseman Jack Winnay singled up the middle to drive in both runners to make it 2-0.
- After a Kade Lewis single, infielder Dalton Wentz poked out a single to left field to extend the Deacs lead to 3-0.
- Outfielder Javar Williams hit a line drive into center field to drive in Wentz as the Deacs took a 4-0 lead.
Lunceford continued his hot start to the game with another scoreless frame in the top of the second.
- The junior recorded his fourth and fifth punchouts of the day to keep the Sharks off the scoreboard in the top of the third inning.
The Demon Deacons added four more runs in the bottom of the third to extend the lead to 8-0:
- Following singles from both Winnay and Lewis, catcher Jimmy Keenan recorded a sacrifice fly to drive in Winnay from third, making it 5-0.
- Wentz recorded his second RBI of the game with a double down the right field line to score Lewis from second.
- Graduate student Matt Scannell drove in another run for the Demon Deacons with a groundout to second base.
- Houston's infield single to third scored another run for the Deacs as they extended their lead to 8-0.
The Demon Deacon defense recorded another scoreless frame in the top of the fourth, as Lunceford added two more strikeouts, bringing his total up to seven for the game.
Wake Forest batted around for the second time in the game, plating six runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning:
- After a Lewis single and a walk by Keenan, Wentz recorded his third RBI of the game on a double into center that Lewis scored on from second.
- Williams hit a sacrifice fly into right field to drive in Keenan from third and extend the lead to 10-0.
- Houston notched the Demon Deacons' first home run of the season with a monstrous 368-foot grand slam over the left-field fence as the Deacs grew their lead to 14-0.
In the top of the fifth, graduate student Griffin Green needed only 10 pitches to retire the side in a scoreless inning of relief.
LIU tacked on two runs in the top of the sixth to make it 14-2.
The Demon Deacons loaded the bases following singles from both Austin Hawke and Cuyler Baxter and a Winnay hit by pitch, but were unable to come away with any runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Sophomore Nate Brittain closed out the game with a scoreless seventh frame, as the Deacs defeated LIU, 14-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Marist)

Marist jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning.
The Deacs got runners into scoring position in the bottom of the first after a single from Conrad and a double from Winnay, but were unable to score.
Lefthander Joe Ariola held the Red Foxes scoreless in the top half of the second.
The Demon Deacons took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second:
- Williams drew a one-out walk before advancing to third after a throwing error and wild pitch by the Marist pitcher.
- Jacob Burley and Antonio Morales both walked to load the bases.
- The Deacs tied the game after a bases-loaded walk from Houston.
- Conrad gave the Deacs the lead on a two-run double into left field.
The Red Foxes scored a run in the top of the third to make it 3-2.
- Graduate student Matt Bedford came in relief with one out in the inning and struck out two consecutive batters with the bases loaded to limit the damage to only one run.
Wake Forest tacked on another run in the bottom of the third as Lewis scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-2.
- The Sartell, Minnesota native doubled into deep right-center field before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Williams.
Bedford continued dealing on the mound as the Deacs recorded another scoreless inning in the top of the fourth.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Deacs added four runs to make it 8-2.
- Conrad notched his second double of the game to open the inning for Wake.
- After Winnay reached on an error, Lewis singled through the right side to score Conrad from second, making it 5-2.
- Wentz singled to right field to drive in another run.
- Lewis scored on a groundout from Williams to extend the lead to 7-2.
- Freshman Matt Conte recorded his first collegiate hit as he notched an RBI single into center field.
Marist added two runs in the top half of the fifth inning to make it 8-4.
Houston rocketed a solo shot over the left field wall for his second home run of the game to give the Deacs a 9-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
Senior Will Ray pitched a scoreless frame in the top of the sixth inning.
Junior Luke Schmolke tossed another scoreless frame for the Deacs in the top of the seventh inning.
Morales gave the Deacs a 10-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh as he scored all the way from first after the Marist pitcher threw the ball away on a bunt single from Houston.
- Houston scored on a groundout by Conrad to make it 11-4
Schmolke notched three strikeouts to keep the Red Foxes off the board in the top of the eighth.
Freshman Luke Billings struck out three Marist hitters in the ninth inning to close out the 11-4 win for the Demon Deacons.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Junior Marek Houston launched two home runs during Friday's doubleheader, including a 368-foot grand slam against Long Island.
- The Nokomis, Florida, native led the Demon Deacons with a team-high seven RBIs while going 4-of-7 at the plate.
Junior Ethan Conrad, who transferred from Marist this past offseason, made an instant impact for the Demon Deacons, going 4-for-9 with three doubles and three RBIs.
Freshman Dalton Wentz impressed in his collegiate debut as he went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs against Long Island.
- The Madison Heights, Virginia, native continued his excellent start to his career by going 1-for-4 with an RBI against Marist.
Sophomore Kade Lewis went 5-for-8 with a double and an RBI while scoring five runs across the two games on Friday.
Junior Logan Lunceford impressed in his Demon Deacon debut, striking out five batters in four scoreless innings against LIU.

STAGGERING STATISTICS

Wake Forest has won 11-straight season openers dating back to the 2015 season.
Over the past four seasons, the Deacs are 27-1 in the opening month of play, going 7-1 in 2024, 10-0 in 2023 and 8-0 in 2022. During that stretch, Wake Forest has outscored their opponents by a 337 to 78 margin (9.25 runs per game).

FROM COACH WALTER
"Obviously a good day for us today, anytime you get two wins in one day, it's a good day. I'm really happy with the pitching that we didn't have to use today like [Josh] Gunther, [Zach] Johnston or [Haiden] Leffew which I think is really important as it kept Will Ray, [Luke] Schmolke, [Matt] Bedford, and [Griffin] Green's pitch counts down. With two games to go, I think we have enough pieces to get 18 more innings in. Our two starters didn't throw great; [Logan] Lunceford got too many deep pitch counts and had two two-out walks in those first two innings which ran his pitch count up and then we only got four innings out of him. Joe [Ariola] didn't throw badly but he didn't really have his good stuff. His four walks, we wish we had some of those back. I was really happy with our bullpen. Matt Bedford came in and got two big punchouts in a big situation and Will Ray came in and got a ground ball and a strikeout in a big situation. Luke Schmolke was really good and I thought Luke Billings was great in the ninth inning there as well striking out the side. Offensively, Ethan Conrad was really good in game two and both Marek [Houston] and Kade [Lewis] were good all day, Javar Williams had good at-bats today. I was happy to see Matt Conte get a couple of big hits for us. Defensively in game two I was really happy. Kade Lewis at first base making two great plays, Dalton Wentz with a diving play and then Ethan Conrad on the ball to left center. All around, it was a good day for the Deacs and hopefully, we find a way to get at least one game in tomorrow with the weather. " - head coach Tom Walter

UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons will continue their with another doubleheader against both Long Island and Marist tomorrow. The Deacs open tomorrow's action against the Sharks at 11 a.m., before facing the Red Foxes at 6 p.m. to conclude opening weekend.

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Team Stats

Kade Lewis

Dalton Wentz

Marek Houston

Jack Winnay

Players Mentioned

Joe Ariola

Cuyler Baxter

Matt Bedford

Luke Billings

Nate Brittain

Jacob Burley

Ethan Conrad

Matt Conte

Griffin Green

Austin Hawke

Marek Houston

Jimmy Keenan

Kade Lewis

Logan Lunceford

Antonio Morales

Will Ray

Matt Scannell

Luke Schmolke

Dalton Wentz

Javar Williams

Jack Winnay

Wake Forest Athletics