Demon Deacons Bounce Back with Run-Rule Win Over Clemson

Wednesday, April 1

Charlotte, N.C.

6:30 p.m.

Wake Forest University

21-9

Clemson

19-11

Clemson

Wake Forest

Demon Deacons Bounce Back with Run-Rule Win Over Clemson

4/1/2026 10:19:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

All nine Demon Deacon starters recorded a hit, with eight recording at least one RBI against the Tigers.

By: Grant Keith & KJ Smith

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Wake Forest baseball team (21-9, 6-6 ACC) bounced back with a dominant performance against Clemson (19-11, 2-7 ACC) on Wednesday night, securing a 15-4 run-rule win at Truist Field in Charlotte as part of the Wake Forest

The contest featured a full slate of special events, including NBA legend Muggsy Bogues throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, the Spirit of the Old Gold & Black and 3,934 Demon Deacon faithful cheering the Demon Deacons on to their largest win over Clemson since the 2019 season.

The Demon Deacons used a balanced attack offensively with all nine starters recording a hit and eight recording at least one RBI. Additionally, Wake Forest recorded three triples in a contest for the first time since at least the 2018 season.

Wake Forest capped off its impressive offensive performance with a seven-run sixth inning, highlighted by a 367-foot grand slam by center fielder Javar Williams.

The Demon Deacons did damage in the middle of the order with their four through six hitters in Kade Lewis, Matt Conte and Boston Torres combining to go 6-for-10 with seven runs driven in, a pair of triples and three runs scored between the trio.

Conte continued his hot stretch of play, finishing 2-for-3 with a trio of RBIs, including his second triple of the season. Over the last 10 games, Conte has recorded at least two hits in five of them, and is one of five Demon Deacons with 10 or more multi-hit games through the first 30 contests of the season.

On the mound, freshman Marcelo Harsch earned his first collegiate win, tossing 2.2 innings of relief with four strikeouts, including all three outs coming via the strikeout in the fourth. Senior Zach Johnston was also effective in relief, going 1.1 innings, allowing no runs with one strikeout.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Starting pitcher Rhys Bowie picked up his first strikeout of the evening in a scoreless top of the first.
Wake Forest jumped on the Tigers with three runs in the bottom half of the frame.
- Leadoff man Javar Williams worked a five-pitch walk, and sophomore Dalton Wentz was hit by the first pitch he saw to put the first two hitters of the game on base for the Deacs.
- Right fielder Luke Costello fought off a pair of 0-2 pitches before depositing an RBI single into left-center to get Wake Forest on the board first.
- A productive groundout from first baseman Kade Lewis pushed the advantage to 2-0.
- Junior Boston Torres found a hole through the right side of the infield to plate Costello, as Wake Forest ran out to a 3-0 lead through an inning of play.
Bowie stranded a runner at third with his second strikeout of the contest for a shutdown second.
Clemson cut into the Wake advantage with a run in the top of the third.
The Demon Deacons responded immediately with four runs in the home half of the third.
- Lewis started the frame with a triple, lasering a 1-1 pitch to right-center.
- Catcher Matt Conte sent a single back up the middle to plate Lewis and push the lead back out to three runs.
- A single to right field by Torres moved Conte into scoring position.
- Designated hitter Andrew Costello roped an RBI double to left-center to extend the lead.
- Junior Blake Schaaf attacked the first pitch he saw, sending an RBI triple off the base of the wall in center field to make it 6-1 in favor of the Demon Deacons.
- Shortstop JD Stein lifted a sac fly to plate Schaaf and capped the scoring in the frame.
Freshman reliever Marcelo Harsch danced around trouble in the fourth, striking out three straight Clemson hitters to leave a pair of runners in scoring position.
After a Wentz double on the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth, Conte shot the Demon Deacons' third triple of the night down the third-base line to make it 8-1.
The Tigers answered with three runs in the top of the fifth.
Senior reliever Zach Johnston worked a scoreless sixth to keep the game at 8-4.
Wake Forest put the game out of reach with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth.
- After a walk and a hit-by-pitch put two on, Lewis slapped a single to load the bases with nobody out.
- A bases-loaded walk by Conte and a sac fly from Torres brought in the first two runs of the inning.
- Schaaf took a 2-1 pitch through the left side to move the runners station-to-station and make it 11-4.
- Williams made it an 11-run game a few batters later as he blasted a grand slam to right field for his sixth home run of the season.
Johnston and freshman right-hander Grant Nicholson closed out the game in the seventh as the Demon Deacons secured the 15-4 run-rule win.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Sophomore catcher Matt Conte continued his hot stretch of play on Wednesday night, finishing the game with two hits and three RBIs, including his second triple of the season.
- Over the last 10 games, Conte has recorded at least two hits in five of them, and is one of five Demon Deacons with 10 or more multi-hit games through the first 30 contests of the season.

STAGGERING STATISTICS

For the first time this season, all nine hitters in the starting lineup recorded a hit in the same game for the Demon Deacons, with five different batters recording a multi-hit game.
- The 2025 squad did so on six occasions against Elon (2/25), Notre Dame (3/7), Coastal Carolina (3/11), Virginia Tech (3/29), Pitt (5/9) and against Cal (5/21).

FROM COACH WALTER
"What a great team win. That's the best complete baseball game we've played all year. We got a solid start out of Rhys Bowie. Marcelo [Harsch] came in and got his big out, and [Zach] Johnston got some big outs. I'm really proud of Grant Nicholson there at the end, coming out in front of his hometown, and getting those last two outs for us. I was pumped for him. I was just pumped with the way he threw the baseball. It was impressive. Offensively, we had a great day all day. You can't point out any one person, because up and down the lineup, we had great at-bats all day. Luke Costello had a big at-bat in the first with two strikes to single there. Matt Conte worked back from a 0-2 count to walk later in the game. Those kinds of competitive at-bats are the difference makers for this team. We did that today. I was really pleased with our offensive approach up-and-down the lineup. We executed 10 of our 12 situational at-bats, and we got three or four shutdown innings. When you do that, you're going to win baseball games." - Head Coach Tom Walter

UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons continue their nine-game road stretch with their series opener at Pitt on Friday, April 3, at Charles L. Cost Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.

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