No. 15 Wake Forest Takes Slugfest Over App State

Wednesday, March 4

Boone, NC

4 p.m.

Wake Forest University

12-1

App State

7-5

Wake Forest

App State

Photo by: Seth Seebaugh / Wake Forest Athletics

3/4/2026 8:17:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

The Demon Deacons are one of just six teams currently on a double-digit win streak, while the 12-game streak matches the longest in the country.

BOONE, N.C. – The No. 15 Wake Forest baseball team (12-1) earned its ninth-straight win over App State (7-5), taking down the Mountaineers, 9-8, on Wednesday evening at Smith Stadium.

First baseman Kade Lewis and third baseman Dalton Wentz paced the Demon Deacons at the plate with multi-hit performances. Lewis has now tallied at least two hits in three consecutive games, while Wentz extended his streak to four straight contests with a pair of hits or more.

Wentz opened the scoring for the Deacs as he launched his fourth home run of the season with a two-run blast in the first inning. The Madison Heights, Va., native added two singles in the second and eighth innings as he finished the game going 3-for-5 at the plate.

Wentz has been on fire since the Demon Deacons midweek victory over UNCG, going 14-for-25 over the last six games. Over that stretch, Wentz has recorded six extra-base hits, including three doubles, a pair of home runs and a triple. Additionally, he has driven in eight runs, while scoring nine times.

Meanwhile, Lewis went 2-for-5 for the afternoon, including a two-run home run off the batter's eye in center field in the second. The Sartell, Minn., native has now logged a home run in three-consecutive games.

Sophomore outfielder Jackson Miller tallied a pair of singles against the Mountaineers as he recorded his fifth multi-hit performance of the season. This also marked Miller's seventh-consecutive game with a hit.

Sophomore reliever Troy Dressler was effective on the mound, tossing 2.0 innings of one-run relief to keep the Mountaineers at bay through the sixth and seventh innings. After surrendering a leadoff single in the seventh, Dressler buckled down with a pair of strikeouts and a flyout to keep the game knotted.

Senior right-hander Will Ray picked up the win on the mound as he logged two punchouts in a scoreless eighth inning. Meanwhile, freshman Evan Jones secured his first-career save as he struck out two in the ninth.

With the win, the Demon Deacons extended their win streak to 12-consecutive games, matching the longest streak in the country. Additionally, the Deacs are one of just six teams that currently hold a double-digit win streak.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Demon Deacons jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the opening frame as sophomore third baseman Dalton Wentz hit a two-run blast.
- Wentz's team-leading fourth home run of the year traveled 402 feet over the left-center field wall.
App State cut the Wake Forest lead in half in the bottom half of the first.
The Demon Deacons extended their lead to 6-1 with a four-run second inning.
- Following back-to-back walks to open the frame, senior second baseman Austin Hawke recorded an RBI double for his first hit of the season.
- The Deacs made it 4-1 moments later on a sacrifice fly by freshman JD Stein.
- Junior first baseman Kade Lewis pushed the lead to five runs as he drove a ball off the batter's eye for a two-run shot.
The Deacs worked out of a bases-loaded jam to shut down the Mountaineers in the home half of the second.
- Wake Forest added another scoreless frame in the bottom of the third.
The Demon Deacons tacked on a run in the top of the fourth to make it 7-1.
App State tied the game with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Deacs reclaimed the lead on a bases-loaded walk by Stein in the top of the fifth.
Senior reliever Luke Schmolke kept the Mountaineers off the board in the bottom half of the fifth.
App State tied the game at 8-8 in the sixth.
Sophomore right-hander Troy Dressler logged a pair of strikeouts en route to a scoreless frame in the bottom of the seventh.
- Senior Will Ray added two punchouts of his own as he kept the game tied in the eighth.
The Deacs grabbed a 9-8 lead after pinch hitter Blake Schaaf drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the ninth.
Freshman Evan Jones struck out two in the ninth as the Demon Deacons secured the 9-8 win over App State.
- Senior outfielder Javar Williams sealed the game with a sliding catch in center field.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Sophomore infielder Dalton Wentz has been on fire since the Demon Deacons midweek victory over UNCG, going 14-for-25 over the last six games.
- The Madison Heights, Va., native has six extra-base hits, including three doubles, a pair of home runs and a triple. Additionally, he has driven in eight runs, while scoring nine times.

STAGGERING STATISTICS

Wake Forest has limited the free pass throughout the first 13 games of the season, allowing four or fewer walks over the last six games on the mound, including just three against the Mountaineers on Wednesday afternoon.

FROM COACH WALTER
"It's a gutty win. The crowd was electric here. It's a tough place to win. They threw everything they had at us, and it kind of came down to us getting a big walk at the end there. We finally put some good at-bats together. Our at-bats early were so good and then our at-bats in the middle of the game were not good. There in the ninth, we finally started having good at-bats again. Our bullpen did the job. You know, obviously, we handed them seven runs. We got credited for four errors; I thought we should have had seven, quite honestly, but we found a way to win. Evan Jones, first time out there in that situation, and he got it done for us. Will Ray in the eighth. [Troy] Dressler was really good. Good team win today, but we have got to get ready for Stanford on Friday." - Head Coach Tom Walter

UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons open up ACC action against Stanford on Friday, Mar. 6. First pitch against the Cardinal is set for 6 p.m. ET on ACCNX.

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