Tuesday, April 22
Winston-Salem, NC
5:30 p.m.
Wake Forest University
27-15
6
vs
4
Liberty
24-17
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Liberty
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
1
0
4
7
1
Wake Forest
0
1
2
0
0
1
2
0
X
6
7
2
Demon Deacons Defeat Liberty in Final Home Midweek of the Season
4/22/2025 9:11:00 PM | Baseball
Freshman Dalton Wentz and Luke Costello’s multi-RBI performances helped guide the Demon Deacons to the 6-4 win.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – In the final home midweek of the 2025 campaign, the Wake Forest baseball team defeated Liberty, 6-4, at David F. Couch Ballpark Tuesday evening.
Starter Matthew Dallas matched his second-longest outing of the season, tossing 5.0 innings without allowing an earned run. The sophomore scattered four hits with five strikeouts and no walks allowed, retiring the Flames (24-17) in order in both the first and third innings.
Sophomore Haiden Leffew struck out the side on just 11 pitches and earned his second save of the season. The lefty hasn't allowed a run in his last seven outings, working 9.1 scoreless innings over the seven games. During this span, he has struck out 17 batters to just four walks and two hits allowed.
Shortstop Marek Houston paced the Demon Deacons (27-15) at the plate with a 3-for-5 night with a double and a pair of runs scored.
Designated hitter Luke Costello's sixth-inning home run put the Demon Deacons ahead for good. The solo shot marked the fourth of the year for the freshmen. Costello earned a bases-loaded walk later in the game for his third multi-RBI effort of the year.
Sophomore Javar Williams put Wake Forest on the board first in the second inning with a single to center field, while first baseman Jack Winnay became the third Demon Deacon hitter to reach 40 RBI this season, driving in Houston in the third inning.
Freshman Dalton Wentz moved to third on the squad with 11 multi-RBI performances, driving in a run with a sac fly and fielder's choice on the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
STAGGERING STATISTIC
FROM COACH WALTER
"I'm really happy with the way Matt Dallas threw the baseball today. He didn't walk anybody and we only had one walk on the day so really happy about that. I thought our bullpen was solid too. Obviously, the two solo home runs out of the bullpen, but other than that, the bullpen was locked down. It was good to see Duncan Marston out there throwing the ball and back on the mound for us. A great job by Haiden Leffew there in the ninth. He's throwing the ball really well right now. Offensively, it's good to see Marek [Houston] have a good game. We didn't have a great offensive day, but we had a good situational offensive day. We moved guys around when we needed to, we got them in when we had guys at third base with less than two outs and a couple of good defensive plays. Cam Nelson, obviously, that play in center field. I thought we ran the bases well too. That's a good team win against a good ball club.
" - Head Coach Tom Walter
UP NEXT
Wake Forest heads west for a three-game ACC matchup with Stanford starting on Friday, April 25. First pitch against the Cardinal is set for 9 p.m. ET.
FOLLOW THE DEACS
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Starter Matthew Dallas matched his second-longest outing of the season, tossing 5.0 innings without allowing an earned run. The sophomore scattered four hits with five strikeouts and no walks allowed, retiring the Flames (24-17) in order in both the first and third innings.
Sophomore Haiden Leffew struck out the side on just 11 pitches and earned his second save of the season. The lefty hasn't allowed a run in his last seven outings, working 9.1 scoreless innings over the seven games. During this span, he has struck out 17 batters to just four walks and two hits allowed.
Shortstop Marek Houston paced the Demon Deacons (27-15) at the plate with a 3-for-5 night with a double and a pair of runs scored.
Designated hitter Luke Costello's sixth-inning home run put the Demon Deacons ahead for good. The solo shot marked the fourth of the year for the freshmen. Costello earned a bases-loaded walk later in the game for his third multi-RBI effort of the year.
Sophomore Javar Williams put Wake Forest on the board first in the second inning with a single to center field, while first baseman Jack Winnay became the third Demon Deacon hitter to reach 40 RBI this season, driving in Houston in the third inning.
Freshman Dalton Wentz moved to third on the squad with 11 multi-RBI performances, driving in a run with a sac fly and fielder's choice on the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Starter Matthew Dallas worked a three-up, three-down top of the first.
- After the first two Liberty batters reached, Dallas picked up a groundout and pair of strikeouts to get out of the top of the second.
- The Deacs grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the inning on a two-out RBI single to center from sophomore Javar Williams.
- Center fielder Cam Nelson robbed a would-be Liberty home run to keep the Flames off the board in the third.
- Wake Forest extended its advantage to 3-0 after three complete innings.
- Shortstop Marek Houston doubled down the left field line to get the inning started.
- Junior Jack Winnay singled to left field to plate Houston and double the lead.
- A sac fly from second baseman Dalton Wentz plated Winnay to push the lead to three.
- An unearned run got Liberty on the board in their half of the fourth.
- Dallas picked up his fifth strikeout of the evening in a scoreless fifth inning.
- Liberty tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth.
- Freshman Luke Costello gave Wake Forest the lead right back with his fourth home run of the season, with a shot to right to lead off the home half.
- Reliever Joe Ariola struckout the side in the seventh for a huge shutdown frame for the Demon Deacons.
- Wake Forest scored a pair of runs in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk and an RBI fielder's choice to make it 6-4.
- After a pair of strikeouts from junior Luke Schmolke, freshman Duncan Marsten made his Wake Forest debut, inducing a fly ball to right to end the frame.
- Sophomore Haiden Leffew struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to record the save and give the Deacs the 6-4 win.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
- Recording his second save of the season, Haiden Leffew struck out the side on just 11 pitches.
- The sophomore hasn't allowed a run in his last seven outings for a total of 9.1 consecutive scoreless innings of work.
- During this span, he has struck out 17 batters to just four walks allowed.
- Shortstop Marek Houston recorded his seventh three-hit performance of the season and brought his season average to .344 through 42 games played.
- Highly-touted freshman pitcher Duncan Marsten made his Wake Forest debut against Liberty, getting a fly ball to right field for the final out of the eighth inning.
STAGGERING STATISTIC
- The Demon Deacon pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts against the Flames on Tuesday night.
- This marked the 12th game this season that the Deacs have notched 14 or more strikeouts this season.
- Wake Forest is a combined 9-3 this season when punching out 14 or more opposing batters.
FROM COACH WALTER
"I'm really happy with the way Matt Dallas threw the baseball today. He didn't walk anybody and we only had one walk on the day so really happy about that. I thought our bullpen was solid too. Obviously, the two solo home runs out of the bullpen, but other than that, the bullpen was locked down. It was good to see Duncan Marston out there throwing the ball and back on the mound for us. A great job by Haiden Leffew there in the ninth. He's throwing the ball really well right now. Offensively, it's good to see Marek [Houston] have a good game. We didn't have a great offensive day, but we had a good situational offensive day. We moved guys around when we needed to, we got them in when we had guys at third base with less than two outs and a couple of good defensive plays. Cam Nelson, obviously, that play in center field. I thought we ran the bases well too. That's a good team win against a good ball club.
" - Head Coach Tom Walter
UP NEXT
Wake Forest heads west for a three-game ACC matchup with Stanford starting on Friday, April 25. First pitch against the Cardinal is set for 9 p.m. ET.
FOLLOW THE DEACS
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Griffin Green (1-1)
L: Harrington (2-1)
S: Haiden Leffew (2)
Batting:
HR: Sorenson, J. 1 ; Troyer, C. 1
RBI: Sorenson, J. 1 ; Troyer, C. 1 ; Moore, T. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sorenson, J. 1 ; Barone, N. 1 ; Troyer, C. 2
SB: Scilley, L. 1
HBP: Barone, N. 1
Batting:
2B: Schaaf, Blake 1
HR: Costello, Luke 1
RBI: Miller, Jackson 1 ; Costello, Luke 2 ; Wentz, Dalton 2 ; Williams, Javar 1
SF: Wentz, Dalton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Roper, Jackson 1 ; Schaaf, Blake 2 ; Miller, Jackson 1 ; Costello, Luke 1 ; Wentz, Dalton 1
HBP: Roper, Jackson 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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RHP
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OF/LHP
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