Thursday, May 15
Louisville, KY
6 p.m.
Wake Forest University
35-18, 15-13
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Louisville
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Wake Forest
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Nine-Run Ninth Lifts Wake Forest to Series Opening Win at No. 21 Louisville
5/15/2025 10:37:00 PM | Baseball
The Demon Deacons launched five home runs to capture the victory, moving the Deacs to the No. 8 seed in the ACC with two games to play in the regular season.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After entering the ninth with just a one-run lead, the Wake Forest baseball team exploded for nine runs in the ninth inning to capture a 14-4 victory over No. 21 Louisville Thursday night at Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville, Ky.
With the crucial win Thursday night over the nationally-ranked Cardinals (34-19, 14-14 ACC) and a loss from Miami against Notre Dame, the Demon Deacons (35-18, 15-13 ACC) vaulted up two spots in the ACC standings. With two games to play in the regular season, the Deacs currently sit as the No. 8 seed in next week's ACC Tournament in Durham, N.C. slotting Wake Forest in the 9:00 a.m. game on Wednesday against the winner of the No. 9 and No. 16 seed.
After the first two runners reached base in the top of the ninth inning and junior Marek Houston advanced them on a sac bunt, the next seven Demon Deacons reached base with one out and the Deacs had built an eight-run lead at that point.
Houston, who finished the night going 4-of-4, including his 12th home run of the season and three RBI, drove in the final two runners in the ninth as Wake Forest left the frame with a commanding 14-4 lead.
Prior to the offensive surge in the ninth, the Demon Deacons were in a back-and-forth battle all night with the nationally-ranked Cardinals.
Starter Blake Morningstar fought for 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. The sophomore retired eight straight faced to keep Wake Forest within striking distance at the end of the sixth. Coming back out with the lead in the seventh at 97 pitches, Morningstar retired the first two batters of the inning before giving way to the Demon Deacon bullpen.
Sophomore righthander Josh Gunther and junior lefthander Joe Ariola closed out the game with a scoreless final 2.1 innings of work. After getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, Gunther struckout the side in order in the ninth to claim his team-leading sixth save of the season.
Second baseman Austin Hawke continued to produce the long ball for the Deacs as he blasted his fifth home run in the last six days with a two-run shot in the second inning. Over the last six games, Hawke is 8-for-22 (.364), with five homers and 13 RBI.
In total, Wake Forest launched five home runs in the opener with graduate student Matt Scannell, senior Jack Winnay, freshman Dalton Wentz, Hawke and Houston each accounting for a homer and moving the team total to 91 for the season. Going into the weekend, the Demon Deacons ranked 18th nationally with 86 home runs hit and also ranked second in the ACC.
HOW IT HAPPENED
"Huge win. The guys battled. Blake [Morningstar] didn't have his best stuff tonight, but, found a way to get big outs. He wanted to go back out there in the seventh. I was a little worried about his pitch count, gets the ground ball, and then a huge throw by Jimmy Keenan to really change the momentum of that inning. And then, Joe Ariola comes in and gets a really tough hitter in [Lucas] Moore out to finish that inning and get us in the dugout with the lead. We came out the next inning, had first and second with nobody out, and couldn't push anything across. Next inning [eighth], Joe comes out, walks a guy on a 3-2 breaking ball, gets an out on a flyball to right. Joe gets the big punch out of Tate Davis, who's just one of the best hitters in this league. And then, [Josh Gunther] comes in against [Kamau] Neighbors, throws strike one, and then gets the ground ball on strike two, huge momentum shift. We put together some really good at bats in the ninth there. Kade Lewis being the big at bat in that situation. [Matt Scannell] executes the bunt and then Kade hits the double to left center and gives a little space there." - Head Coach Tom Walter
Up Next
Wake Forest and Louisville continue the series tomorrow on ACC Network Extra. First pitch from Jim Patterson Stadium has been moved up to 1 p.m. ET due to anticipated weather in Louisville tomorrow.
FOLLOW THE DEACS
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
With the crucial win Thursday night over the nationally-ranked Cardinals (34-19, 14-14 ACC) and a loss from Miami against Notre Dame, the Demon Deacons (35-18, 15-13 ACC) vaulted up two spots in the ACC standings. With two games to play in the regular season, the Deacs currently sit as the No. 8 seed in next week's ACC Tournament in Durham, N.C. slotting Wake Forest in the 9:00 a.m. game on Wednesday against the winner of the No. 9 and No. 16 seed.
After the first two runners reached base in the top of the ninth inning and junior Marek Houston advanced them on a sac bunt, the next seven Demon Deacons reached base with one out and the Deacs had built an eight-run lead at that point.
Houston, who finished the night going 4-of-4, including his 12th home run of the season and three RBI, drove in the final two runners in the ninth as Wake Forest left the frame with a commanding 14-4 lead.
Prior to the offensive surge in the ninth, the Demon Deacons were in a back-and-forth battle all night with the nationally-ranked Cardinals.
Starter Blake Morningstar fought for 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. The sophomore retired eight straight faced to keep Wake Forest within striking distance at the end of the sixth. Coming back out with the lead in the seventh at 97 pitches, Morningstar retired the first two batters of the inning before giving way to the Demon Deacon bullpen.
Sophomore righthander Josh Gunther and junior lefthander Joe Ariola closed out the game with a scoreless final 2.1 innings of work. After getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, Gunther struckout the side in order in the ninth to claim his team-leading sixth save of the season.
Second baseman Austin Hawke continued to produce the long ball for the Deacs as he blasted his fifth home run in the last six days with a two-run shot in the second inning. Over the last six games, Hawke is 8-for-22 (.364), with five homers and 13 RBI.
In total, Wake Forest launched five home runs in the opener with graduate student Matt Scannell, senior Jack Winnay, freshman Dalton Wentz, Hawke and Houston each accounting for a homer and moving the team total to 91 for the season. Going into the weekend, the Demon Deacons ranked 18th nationally with 86 home runs hit and also ranked second in the ACC.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Shortstop Marek Houston got the Deacs on the board first with his 12th home run of the year to center.
- The solo shot left the bat at 103 mph, traveling 432 feet to the deepest part of the field.
- Righty Blake Morningstar used a 5-4-3 double play and a groundout for the shutdown inning in the bottom half of the first.
- Junior Austin Hawke extended the Wake Forest lead to 3-0 with a two-run shot in the top of the second.
- Hawke's seventh of the year left the bat at 87 mph, traveling 348 feet.
- It also marked his fifth in the last six games for the Deacs.
- Hawke's seventh of the year left the bat at 87 mph, traveling 348 feet.
- Louisville cut into the lead with a two-run homer of their own in the bottom of the second.
- The Cardinal tied the game at 3-3 in the third.
- Wake Forest threatened with a leadoff double by Luke Costello to open the fourth, but left him 90 feet away to remain deadlocked at three.
- A solo home run gave Louisville the lead in the fourth.
- Morningstar worked a seven-pitch fifth to keep the deficit at one run through five complete.
- First baseman Jack Winnay worked a walk and a stolen base in the sixth, but was left stranded at second.
- Graduate transfer Matt Scannell destroyed the third home run of the game to put Wake Forest ahead at 5-4.
- Scannell's third in the last games left the bat at 110 mph, traveling 430 feet.
- Coming back out in the seventh, Morningstar got the first two outs of the inning before giving way to lefty Joe Ariola for the final out of the inning.
- Ariola and sophomore Josh Gunther escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam to get Wake Forest out of the eighth with no damage.
- Wake Forest exploded for nine runs in the ninth, pushing the lead to 14-4 as the Deacs took a commanding lead going into the bottom of the ninth.
- Sophomore Javar Williams worked a leadoff walk with Scannell also reaching base to apply pressure on the Louisville pitching staff.
- Houston moved both runners into scoring position for Lewis with a sac bunt.
- Sophomore Kade Lewis doubled to left center to drive in both runners, scoring two huge insurance runs to push the Wake Forest lead to 7-4.
- After a Cardinals pitching change, Winnay kept the momentum going as he homered to center, marking his 13th home run of the season.
- Mitchell Salvino kept the line moving when he was hit by a pitch
- The one out hitting continued when Wentz hit the Deacs second home run of the inning, expanding the lead to 11-4.
- Hawke reached on a walk and Kennan on an error to center, turning the lineup back over to Williams with runners on the corners and still just one out.
- Williams doubled to left, scoring Hawke and putting two Deacs into scoring position.
- Two batters later, Houston capped off the explosive ninth inning as a single through the left side scored Kennan and Williams.
- After going into the ninth with just a one-run lead, Wake Forest headed to the bottom half of the ninth holding a 10-run advantage.
- Sophomore Javar Williams worked a leadoff walk with Scannell also reaching base to apply pressure on the Louisville pitching staff.
- After entering the game with just a one-run advantage in the ninth, Gunther completed his sixth save of the season, striking out the side in order.
- He helped the Deacs clinch the opener, 14-4.
- He helped the Deacs clinch the opener, 14-4.
- Junior Marek Houston had a perfect night out of the No. 2 hole in the Demon Deacons series series-opening victory over No. 21 Louisville Thursday night.
- Houston finished the night going 4-of-4, including his 12th home run of the season and three RBI.
- He also drove in the final two runners in the ninth, capping off a nine-run ninth for the Deacs.
- His four hits tied his season and career high, marking the fourth time in his career the junior has had four hits in a single game.
- It was the 22nd multi-hit game of the season for the Demon Deacon shortstop. Over the course of his career, Houston has 53 multi-hit games.
- Houston finished the night going 4-of-4, including his 12th home run of the season and three RBI.
- Since the start of the 2022 season, Wake Forest has totaled 456 home runs, which leads the ACC and ranks third nationally during that time.
- The Deacs are one of just four teams nationally to have 100 or more home runs in each of the last three seasons, joined by Texas A&M, Florida, and Campbell.
- Wake Forest has belted 91 home runs over 53 games to rank second in the ACC and 11th in the nation pending the rest of Thursday's results.
- The Demon Deacons are one of just 12 teams over the 90-homer mark to this point of the season, led by Winnay and Houston with 12 homers.
- Wake has left the yard at least once in all but 10 games to this point in the 2025 campaign.
- The Deacs are 31-12 when hitting a home run and 20-5 when hitting multiple homers.
"Huge win. The guys battled. Blake [Morningstar] didn't have his best stuff tonight, but, found a way to get big outs. He wanted to go back out there in the seventh. I was a little worried about his pitch count, gets the ground ball, and then a huge throw by Jimmy Keenan to really change the momentum of that inning. And then, Joe Ariola comes in and gets a really tough hitter in [Lucas] Moore out to finish that inning and get us in the dugout with the lead. We came out the next inning, had first and second with nobody out, and couldn't push anything across. Next inning [eighth], Joe comes out, walks a guy on a 3-2 breaking ball, gets an out on a flyball to right. Joe gets the big punch out of Tate Davis, who's just one of the best hitters in this league. And then, [Josh Gunther] comes in against [Kamau] Neighbors, throws strike one, and then gets the ground ball on strike two, huge momentum shift. We put together some really good at bats in the ninth there. Kade Lewis being the big at bat in that situation. [Matt Scannell] executes the bunt and then Kade hits the double to left center and gives a little space there." - Head Coach Tom Walter
Up Next
Wake Forest and Louisville continue the series tomorrow on ACC Network Extra. First pitch from Jim Patterson Stadium has been moved up to 1 p.m. ET due to anticipated weather in Louisville tomorrow.
FOLLOW THE DEACS
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Morningstar, Blake (6-1)
L: Justin West (1-2)
S: Torres, Boston (6)
Batting:
2B: Lewis, Kade 1 ; Costello, Luke 1 ; Williams, Javar 1
HR: Matt Scannell 1 ; Schaaf, Blake 1 ; Miller, Jackson 1 ; Wentz, Dalton 1 ; Hawke, Austin 1
RBI: Matt Scannell 2 ; Schaaf, Blake 3 ; Lewis, Kade 2 ; Miller, Jackson 2 ; Wentz, Dalton 2 ; Hawke, Austin 2 ; Williams, Javar 1
SH: Matt Scannell 1 ; Schaaf, Blake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Matt Scannell 2 ; Schaaf, Blake 1 ; Lewis, Kade 1 ; Miller, Jackson 1 ; Jones, Evan 1 ; Wentz, Dalton 2 ; Hawke, Austin 2 ; Keenan, Jimmy 1 ; Williams, Javar 3
SB: Miller, Jackson 1
CS: Schaaf, Blake 1
HBP: Miller, Jackson 1 ; Jones, Evan 1
PO: Schaaf, Blake 1
Batting:
2B: Alex Alicea 1
HR: Eddie King Jr. 1 ; Tague Davis 1
RBI: Eddie King Jr. 1 ; Tague Davis 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Eddie King Jr. 2 ; Tague Davis 1 ; Alex Alicea 1
SB: Kamau Neighbors 1
CS: Zion Rose 1 ; Michael Lippe 1
HBP: Zion Rose 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
4
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
rf/cf
AB
5
R
2
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
LHP
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INF
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