Wake Forest Athletics
Tuesday, April 21
Winston-Salem, N.C.
6 p.m.
Wake Forest University
28-14
14
vs
3
UNCG
15-26
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNCG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Wake Forest | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | X | 14 | 10 | 1 |
Demon Deacons Close Home Midweek Slate with Run-Rule Win Over UNCG
4/21/2026 9:04:00 PM | Baseball
Sophomore catcher Matt Conte launched a pair of two-run home runs, while sophomore Duncan Marsten tossed 5.0 no-hit innings on the mound.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Behind a pitching gem from sophomore Duncan Marsten and five home runs, the Wake Forest baseball team (28-14, 11-10 ACC) closed out its home midweek slate with a 14-3 run-rule victory over UNCG (15-26, 2-10 SoCon) on Tuesday night at David F. Couch Ballpark.
Marsten recorded his best outing of the season, finishing the game with six strikeouts while not allowing a hit over the course of 5.0 scoreless innings. This marks the Lake Balboa, Calif., native's fourth appearance without giving up a run and the first since he tossed 10 strikeouts in 5.0 scoreless frames against Davidson on February 27.
The Wake Forest pitching staff allowed just one hit against the Spartans, with the bullpen combining for four strikeouts over the final two innings.
Sophomore catcher Matt Conte led the charge offensively for the Demon Deacons, launching a pair of two-run home runs. Conte opened the scoring with a 442-foot blast in the second inning, before crushing a 424-foot no-doubter in the sixth for his eighth home run of the season.
After an impressive series against NC State, freshman JD Stein continued his hot streak as he notched his ninth multi-hit game of the season. Stein got on the board with an RBI single in the bottom of the second, before launching a three-run shot to give the Deacs an 11-0 lead in the fifth.
Meanwhile, junior second baseman Blake Schaaf added two hits of his own, including a solo home run in the fourth and a two-out RBI single in the fifth.
The middle infield duo has stepped up offensively since the opening game of the series against Miami on April 10, combining for 22 hits and seven home runs over that span. Individually, Stein has gone 12-for-27 (.444) with four home runs and eight RBIs, while Schaaf is 10-for-21 (.476) at the plate with three home runs and nine RBIs over that time.
Elsewhere, sophomore designated hitter Dalton Wentz rocketed his 11th home run of the season on a 422-foot solo shot in the sixth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
"[We] did what we needed to do. This is one of those trap games that you worry about coming into it. Duncan [Marsten] wasn't his usual self. He had a little arm tenderness, so we knew he wasn't going to give us six or seven innings, but we were hoping to get at least five good ones out of him, which he certainly did. [He] threw a ton of strikes and had three shutdown innings. [I'm] really happy with Tyler Wood, [Ryan] Brennecke and [Grant] Nicholson. All three of those guys are getting better every week, so I'm happy to see those guys get out there and help us win a ball game. [We had] a bunch of two-out RBIs and some good base running. There was a good read with a ball in the dirt by [Luke] Costello, good first to third by [Blake] Schaaf and then [JD] Stein came in behind them. Obviously, [Matt] Conte had a good day, and then both Stein and Schaaf had good days today as well. Overall, it was a good day for the Deacs all around and a good win headed into a huge series." - Head Coach Tom Walter
UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons travel to Atlanta for a three-game ACC series against No. 3 Georgia Tech starting on Friday. First pitch against the Yellow Jackets is set for 7 p.m. ET.
FOLLOW THE DEACS
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Marsten recorded his best outing of the season, finishing the game with six strikeouts while not allowing a hit over the course of 5.0 scoreless innings. This marks the Lake Balboa, Calif., native's fourth appearance without giving up a run and the first since he tossed 10 strikeouts in 5.0 scoreless frames against Davidson on February 27.
The Wake Forest pitching staff allowed just one hit against the Spartans, with the bullpen combining for four strikeouts over the final two innings.
Sophomore catcher Matt Conte led the charge offensively for the Demon Deacons, launching a pair of two-run home runs. Conte opened the scoring with a 442-foot blast in the second inning, before crushing a 424-foot no-doubter in the sixth for his eighth home run of the season.
After an impressive series against NC State, freshman JD Stein continued his hot streak as he notched his ninth multi-hit game of the season. Stein got on the board with an RBI single in the bottom of the second, before launching a three-run shot to give the Deacs an 11-0 lead in the fifth.
Meanwhile, junior second baseman Blake Schaaf added two hits of his own, including a solo home run in the fourth and a two-out RBI single in the fifth.
The middle infield duo has stepped up offensively since the opening game of the series against Miami on April 10, combining for 22 hits and seven home runs over that span. Individually, Stein has gone 12-for-27 (.444) with four home runs and eight RBIs, while Schaaf is 10-for-21 (.476) at the plate with three home runs and nine RBIs over that time.
Elsewhere, sophomore designated hitter Dalton Wentz rocketed his 11th home run of the season on a 422-foot solo shot in the sixth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Starting pitcher Duncan Marsten needed just six pitches to get through the top of the first.
- Marsten struck out a pair in the top of the second.
- The Demon Deacons broke the game open in the bottom of the second, plating four runs in the inning.
- Following a leadoff walk, sophomore Matt Conte mashed a 442-foot bomb to left center field for the first runs of the game.
- Freshman JD Stein extended the Wake Forest lead as he hit an RBI single through the middle.
- Junior Javar Williams pushed the lead to 4-0 as he scored junior Blake Schaaf on a sacrifice fly.
- Marsten pitched a shutdown third inning, highlighted by a diving catch by Williams for the second out of the frame.
- The Deacs tacked on another run in the home half of the third as sophomore Jackson Miller roped a single to left field to score sophomore Luke Costello from second.
- The Wake Forest defense turned an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play to keep UNCG off the board once again in the fourth.
- Schaaf rocketed a solo shot over the center field wall to push the lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the fourth.
- Marsten tossed his fifth and sixth strikeouts of the game to strand a Spartan runner on third base in the fifth.
- Wake Forest scored five runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to extend its lead to double digits.
- Junior Ryan Preisano rocketed an RBI single over the shortstop's head to drive in another run in the home half of the fifth.
- Schaaf added an RBI single of his own for his second hit of the game.
- Stein launched a three-run bomb to left field to give the Demon Deacons an 11-0 lead.
- UNCG notched three runs in the top of the sixth.
- The Deacs responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth.
- Sophomore Dalton Wentz blasted his 11th home run of the season to lead off the frame.
- After third baseman Kade Lewis notched a double into right field, Conte launched a no-doubt bomb to deep left field for his second home run of the game, making it 14-3.
- Freshmen Ryan Brennecke and Grant Nicholson closed out the game in the seventh as the Demon Deacons picked up the 14-3 win over the Spartans.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
- Sophomore right-hander Duncan Marsten was dominating on the mound for the Demon Deacons on Tuesday night, pitching 5.0 hitless innings while recording six strikeouts.
- This marked Marsten's fourth outing without giving up a run and the first since logging 10 strikeouts in 5.0 scoreless innings against Davidson on February 27.
- This marked Marsten's fourth outing without giving up a run and the first since logging 10 strikeouts in 5.0 scoreless innings against Davidson on February 27.
- The Wake Forest offense came alive over its five-game homestand as they outscored their opponents 69-22 over that stretch.
- The Demon Deacons reached double digits in all four of their wins during the homestand.
- Additionally, the Deacs have tallied 23 home runs in their last five games, pushing its season total to 65.
"[We] did what we needed to do. This is one of those trap games that you worry about coming into it. Duncan [Marsten] wasn't his usual self. He had a little arm tenderness, so we knew he wasn't going to give us six or seven innings, but we were hoping to get at least five good ones out of him, which he certainly did. [He] threw a ton of strikes and had three shutdown innings. [I'm] really happy with Tyler Wood, [Ryan] Brennecke and [Grant] Nicholson. All three of those guys are getting better every week, so I'm happy to see those guys get out there and help us win a ball game. [We had] a bunch of two-out RBIs and some good base running. There was a good read with a ball in the dirt by [Luke] Costello, good first to third by [Blake] Schaaf and then [JD] Stein came in behind them. Obviously, [Matt] Conte had a good day, and then both Stein and Schaaf had good days today as well. Overall, it was a good day for the Deacs all around and a good win headed into a huge series." - Head Coach Tom Walter
UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons travel to Atlanta for a three-game ACC series against No. 3 Georgia Tech starting on Friday. First pitch against the Yellow Jackets is set for 7 p.m. ET.
FOLLOW THE DEACS
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Marsten, Duncan (3-3)
L: Dear, Mayson (0-2)
Batting:
HR: Dilley, Jacob 1
RBI: Dilley, Jacob 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Dilley, Jacob 1 ; Truitt, Brantley 1 ; Brittain, Ethan 1
SB: Parsons, JJ 1
Batting:
2B: Lewis, Kade 1
HR: Wentz, Dalton 1 ; Stein, JD 1 ; Schaaf, Blake 1 ; Conte, Matt 2
RBI: Wentz, Dalton 1 ; Stein, JD 4 ; Schaaf, Blake 2 ; Conte, Matt 4 ; Williams, Javar 1 ; Miller, Jackson 1 ; Preisano, Ryan 1
SF: Williams, Javar 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wentz, Dalton 1 ; Stein, JD 1 ; Lewis, Kade 3 ; Schaaf, Blake 3 ; Conte, Matt 2 ; Costello, Luke 1 ; Miller, Jackson 1 ; Preisano, Ryan 2
SB: Stein, JD 1 ; Schaaf, Blake 1
HBP: Lewis, Kade 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
3
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
4
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ BaseballC
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INF
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INF
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RHP
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OF
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RHP
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INF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
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