Wake Forest Athletics
Friday, February 20
Winston-Salem, N.C.
4 p.m.
Wake Forest University
4-1
11
vs
7
Siena
0-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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H
E
Siena
0
0
6
0
1
0
0
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0
7
8
2
Wake Forest
2
0
4
0
0
1
0
4
11
11
1
Long Ball Lifts Demon Deacons to Victory Over Siena
2/20/2026 8:08:00 PM | Baseball
The Demon Deacons recorded four home runs on Friday night, including a pair by sophomore third baseman Dalton Wentz.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Behind a combined four home runs, including a pair from sophomore third baseman Dalton Wentz, the Wake Forest baseball team (4-1, 0-0 ACC) secured an 11-7 win on Friday night to open its series at David F. Couch Ballpark against Siena (0-4, 0-0 MAAC).
Wentz opened the scoring with a towering solo shot in the first inning, before launching a two-run bomb as part of a four-run third. Overall, the Madison Heights, Va., native finished the game going 2-for-3 with four RBI and a pair of walks.
Additionally, this marks Wentz's third-career game with multiple home runs and the first since the Deacs played Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament last season.
Sophomore catcher Matt Conte had one of his best games in a Wake Forest uniform as he recorded a career-high three hits against the Saints, including a two-run blast that tied the game in the third. The Andover, Mass., native ended the game going 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs and a walk.
Returning to the lineup for the first time this season, sophomore outfielder Luke Costello lined the first pitch he saw over the right field wall for a solo home run in the first inning.
After giving up six runs in the first four innings, the Wake Forest bullpen allowed just four hits and a run over the final five innings.
Sophomore reliever Rhys Bowie gave up just one run while recording six strikeouts over three innings of work. Meanwhile, fellow sophomore Troy Dressler picked up the win after tossing two scoreless frames and striking out three.
HOW IT HAPPENED
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
"I'm really happy with the way Rhys Bowie threw the ball. He found a way to get us out of the eighth inning with first and third with nobody out. He also struck out the side in the sixth. Both he and Troy Dressler got it done for us on the mound. It was great to see [Dalton] Wentz have a great game, and it was also great to see Kade [Lewis] clutch up for us. He wasn't having a great day, but he found a way in the eighth. It was also good to see Boston Torres and Luke Costello back in the lineup. We're starting to pull some pieces together and we're excited for where things can go from here." - Head Coach Tom Walter
UP NEXT
Wake Forest returns to David F. Couch Ballpark tomorrow afternoon as they look to take the series against the Saints.
First pitch for tomorrow's contest is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be streamed live on ACCNX.
FOLLOW THE DEACS
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Wentz opened the scoring with a towering solo shot in the first inning, before launching a two-run bomb as part of a four-run third. Overall, the Madison Heights, Va., native finished the game going 2-for-3 with four RBI and a pair of walks.
Additionally, this marks Wentz's third-career game with multiple home runs and the first since the Deacs played Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament last season.
Sophomore catcher Matt Conte had one of his best games in a Wake Forest uniform as he recorded a career-high three hits against the Saints, including a two-run blast that tied the game in the third. The Andover, Mass., native ended the game going 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs and a walk.
Returning to the lineup for the first time this season, sophomore outfielder Luke Costello lined the first pitch he saw over the right field wall for a solo home run in the first inning.
After giving up six runs in the first four innings, the Wake Forest bullpen allowed just four hits and a run over the final five innings.
Sophomore reliever Rhys Bowie gave up just one run while recording six strikeouts over three innings of work. Meanwhile, fellow sophomore Troy Dressler picked up the win after tossing two scoreless frames and striking out three.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Starting pitcher Blake Morningstar opened the top of the first with three strikeouts.
- The Demon Deacons jumped out to a 2-0 lead off a pair of solo home runs by sophomores Dalton Wentz and Luke Costello in the bottom half of the inning.
- Wentz's homer marked the 14th of his young Wake Forest career.
- Returning from injury, Costello left the yard on the first pitch he saw of his 2026 campaign.
- Morningstar capped off another clean inning in the second with his fourth strikeout of the game.
- Siena took a 6-2 advantage in the top of the third.
- The Demon Deacons responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game.
- Junior center fielder Javar Williams led off the frame with a double in the right-center gap.
- Wentz made it a two-run game as he launched his second long ball of the game into deep right field.
- After Costello was hit by the first pitch of his at-bat, sophomore catcher Matt Conte tied the game at 6-6 with a two-run shot that soared over the left field wall.
- Wake Forest recorded a three-up, three-down inning in the top of the fourth.
- The Saints reclaimed the lead in the top half of the fifth inning.
- The Deacs loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but were unable to capitalize.
- Wake Forest fought out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth to keep Siena from extending its lead.
- Sophomore reliever Rhys Bowie struck out three batters in the frame.
- The Deacs tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on Wentz's fourth RBI of the afternoon.
- Junior Boston Torres recorded the first hit of his Wake Forest career on a pinch-hit single to start the inning, before advancing to second on a passed ball.
- Williams reached first on a bunt single while also moving Torres to third.
- Torres came in to score as Wentz grounded out to first base.
- Wake Forest added another scoreless frame in the top of the seventh following an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
- Sophomore right-hander Troy Dressler struck out the final two batters he faced as the Demon Deacons kept Siena off the scoreboard in the eighth.
- The Demon Deacons broke the tie in the home half of the eighth as they plated four runs in the frame.
- Wake Forest grabbed an 8-7 lead off of an RBI single by junior first baseman Kade Lewis in the bottom half of the eighth.
- The Deacs tacked on another run in the inning on a bases-loaded walk by senior Jimmy Keenan.
- The Demon Deacons extended their lead to 11-7 following back-to-back hit-by-pitches with the bases loaded.
- Dressler closed the game in the ninth as the Deacs secured the series-opening win, 11-7.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
- Sophomore third baseman Dalton Wentz recorded his third-career game with multiple home runs to power the Wake Forest offense against Siena.
- The Madison Heights, Va., native opened the scoring with a solo shot to right field in the first inning.
- Wentz added a two-run shot as part of a four-run third inning.
- Sophomore catcher Matt Conte had one of his best games in a Wake Forest uniform as he recorded a career-high three hits against the Saints, including a two-run blast that tied the game in the third.
- The Andover, Mass., native ended the game going 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs and a walk.
- The Andover, Mass., native ended the game going 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs and a walk.
- Over the last five seasons, Wake Forest has totaled 486 home runs, which leads the ACC and is tied for third nationally during that time.
| Rank | School | Home Runs |
| 1. | Tennessee | 610 |
| 2. | Florida | 505 |
| T3. | Wake Forest | 486 |
| T3. | LSU | 486 |
| T3. | Georgia | 486 |
- The Deacs are one of just three teams nationally to have 100 or more home runs in each of the last four seasons.
"I'm really happy with the way Rhys Bowie threw the ball. He found a way to get us out of the eighth inning with first and third with nobody out. He also struck out the side in the sixth. Both he and Troy Dressler got it done for us on the mound. It was great to see [Dalton] Wentz have a great game, and it was also great to see Kade [Lewis] clutch up for us. He wasn't having a great day, but he found a way in the eighth. It was also good to see Boston Torres and Luke Costello back in the lineup. We're starting to pull some pieces together and we're excited for where things can go from here." - Head Coach Tom Walter
UP NEXT
Wake Forest returns to David F. Couch Ballpark tomorrow afternoon as they look to take the series against the Saints.
First pitch for tomorrow's contest is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be streamed live on ACCNX.
FOLLOW THE DEACS
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dressler, Troy (1-0)
L: Pincince, Owen (0-1)
Batting:
HR: Paradine, Aidan 1 ; Lynch, Scott 1 ; Sparks, Jake 1
RBI: Paradine, Aidan 2 ; Lynch, Scott 1 ; Sparks, Jake 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Bergamotto, Nick 1 ; Paradine, Aidan 2 ; Venditti, Vincent 1 ; Lynch, Scott 1 ; Sparks, Jake 1 ; Thorburn, Gavin 1
Batting:
2B: Williams, Javar 1
HR: Wentz, Dalton 2 ; Costello, Luke 1 ; Conte, Matt 1
RBI: Wentz, Dalton 4 ; Costello, Luke 1 ; Stein, JD 1 ; Keenan, Jimmy 1 ; Lewis, Kade 1 ; Schaaf, Blake 1 ; Conte, Matt 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Wentz, Dalton 3 ; Costello, Luke 2 ; Williams, Javar 2 ; Torres, Boston 1 ; Lewis, Kade 1 ; Conte, Matt 2
SB: Williams, Javar 1
HBP: Costello, Luke 1 ; Stein, JD 1 ; Schaaf, Blake 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
3
H
2
RBI
4
AB
6
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
LHP
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RHP
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INF
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RHP
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OF
/ BaseballINF
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OF
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