Wake Forest Powers Past Pitt in Series Opener

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Picking up their sixth win in a row, the Wake Forest baseball team launched five home runs on Friday night to earn a 12-3 victory in the series opener against Pitt at David F. Couch Ballpark.

Sophomore Austin Hawke slugged a pair of home runs for the second straight game and is five-for-six (.833) over the last two contests with nine RBI.

First baseman Jack Winnay launched his team-leading 12th home run of the year to right center to open the scoring for the Diamond Deacons in the first inning.

Graduate transfer Matt Scannell and shortstop Marek Houston went back-to-back in the sixth to cap the scoring for Wake Forest.

Starter Blake Morningstar turned in his fourth quality start of the year, allowing just two earned runs over 6.0 innings with six strikeouts on 89 pitches. The sophomore retired eight-straight from the last out of the second inning to the first out of the sixth to move to 5-1 on the season.

In 12 starts, he has allowed over three earned runs in just one, and has four quality starts on the season, including a trio in ACC play.

Reliever Josh Gunther retired four of the six batters he faced via the strikeout, including punching out the side in the eighth.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Pitt took a 1-0 lead off a solo home run in the top of the first.
Wake Forest immediately answered with three runs in their half of the opening inning.
- Shortstop Marek Houston laced a one-out single back up the middle to reach base for the 13th-straight game.
- Sophomore Kade Lewis followed with a bloop single into right field to put Houston in scoring position.
- First baseman Jack Winnay cleared the bases with his team-leading 12th home run of the year to right center.
  - Winnay's homer left the bat at 106 mph, traveling 401 feet.
The Panthers took advantage of a Wake miscue to tie the contest at 3-3 after an inning and a half.
Catcher Jimmy Keenan led off with a double and scored on Matt Scannell's sac fly, putting the Deacs up 4-3 after two innings.
Starter Blake Morningstar got a shutdown inning in the third, inducing a 6-4-3 double play to escape a two-on, one-out jam.
The Demon Deacons extend their advantage with another three spot in the bottom of the third.
- Winnay worked a four-pitch walk to put a runner on and moved to second on his sixth stolen base of the year.
- Returning to the lineup after missing the last three games, freshman Dalton Wentz rocketed a two-out RBI single back up the middle to push the lead to 5-3.
- Homering for the third time in the last two games, second baseman Austin Hawke cleared the wall in right to extend the lead to 7-3 in favor of the home team.
Morningstar retired Pitt in order in the fourth with a pair of strikeouts.
Wake Forest scored for the fourth-straight inning on a two-out RBI double off the bat of Lewis to make it 8-3 after four complete innings
A pair of groundouts and a flyout got Morningstar through the Panthers in order again in the fifth.
After a single to open the fifth by left fielder Luke Costello, Hawke left the yard for the fourth time in five at-bats to extend the lead.
The barrage of homers continued in the sixth, as Scannell and Houston went back-to-back to make it 12-3.
Reliever Josh Gunther retired Pitt in order in the seventh and eighth with four strikeouts to keep the Wake lead at nine.
Graduate transfer Matt Bedford recorded the final three outs to seal the 12-3 win for the Demon Deacons.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The Demon Deacons have seen productivity up and down the lineup, with all nine hitters in the starting lineup recording a hit in the same game on five occasions, doing so against Elon (2/25), Notre Dame (3/7), Coastal Carolina (3/11), Virginia Tech (3/29) and tonight against Pitt (5/9).
- Wake Forest has more than doubled the 2024 squad, which achieved the feat just two times in 60 contests.

STAGGERING STATISTICS

Wake Forest moves to 29-10 when hitting a home run and 19-4 when hitting multiple homers.
The Demon Deacons are 28-6 when scoring at least six runs, and scored in double figures for the 19th time this season, remaining unbeaten when scoring at least 10 runs.
With a clear home-field advantage, Wake Forest has gone 108-24-1 since 2022 at The Couch with at least 20 wins at home in each of the last four season, including a stellar 34-3 mark on their way to a program-record 54 wins in 2023, 25-7 in 2024, and are 23-7 in 2025.

FROM COACH WALTER
"Always good to get on the board Friday night. It's also good to see Blake [Morningstar] pitch well tonight. That makes a big difference for our team both mentally and emotionally. I didn't think he threw the ball great in the first two innings. I thought he scattered it a little more than he has been, but from the third inning to the sixth inning, he was really good. We had a big double play that Austin [Hawke] and Marek [Houston] turned to get us a shutdown inning. Offensively, Austin Hawke continued to swing the bat well. It's good to see Jack [Winnay] hit that home run in the first inning. I was pleased with our offensive performance today. It's a good team win. We've got Matt Dallas going tomorrow in a big game for us because it is the Epilepsy Awareness game to honor Ryan Lloyd and his family. It'll be an emotional day tomorrow and we need to come out and play well." - Head Coach Tom Walter

Up Next
Wake Forest goes for the series tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET from The Couch. The game will serve as the Deacs annual Epilepsy Awareness game. Fans can bid on the game-worn jerseys by clicking HERE. Additionally, Seniors & Graduates Day is tomorrow, with pregame recognitions beginning at 3:35 p.m.

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Team Stats

Austin Hawke

Marek Houston

Kade Lewis

Luke Costello

Players Mentioned

Matt Bedford

Luke Costello

Josh Gunther

Austin Hawke

Marek Houston

Jimmy Keenan

Kade Lewis

Blake Morningstar

Matt Scannell

Dalton Wentz

Jack Winnay

Wake Forest Athletics