Wake Forest Falls to Pitt in Second Round of ACC Tournament

Wednesday, May 20

Charlotte, N.C.

9 p.m.

Wake Forest University

38-19

Pittsburgh

32-23

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Pitt	0	3	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	7	9	0
Wake Forest	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	9	2

Wake Forest Falls to Pitt in Second Round of ACC Tournament

5/21/2026 2:32:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

The Demon Deacons await their NCAA Regional designation on Monday, with the selection show taking place at Noon ET on ESPN2.

By: KJ Smith & Grant Keith

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Despite bringing the tying run to the plate in the ninth, the Wake Forest baseball team (38-19, 16-14 ACC) fell in the second round of the 2026 ACC Baseball Tournament, dropping a 7-4 contest to Pitt (32-23, 11-19 ACC) on Wednesday night at Truist Field.

Sophomore Dalton Wentz left the yard for the fifth time in the last 10 games, blasting his 17th home run over the wall in center field to tie the contest in the third inning.

Over the last 10 games, Wentz has gone 13-for-41 with eight extra-base hits, 15 RBIs and 10 runs scored. Additionally, he has hit safely in 15 of the last 16 contests for the Demon Deacons.

Junior Kade Lewis collected his team-leading 26th multi-hit game with a pair of early singles, while center fielder Javar Williams added his 23rd multi-hit game on two singles of his own.

Shortstop JD Stein finished 2-for-4, getting the Demon Deacons on the board with an RBI single in the third inning, before adding a double in the sixth.

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Rhys Bowie continued a dominant stretch out of the bullpen, as he has not allowed an earned run over his last 13.1 innings pitched while striking out 24 batters against just five walks. Additionally, he has stranded 12 of his 13 inherited runners. Bowie struck out five in 3.1 innings of relief against the Panthers.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Starting pitcher Duncan Marsten worked around a pair of runners in scoring position to keep Pitt off the board in the top of the first.
- Third baseman Dalton Wentz made a diving stop for the second out of the frame, saving a run for the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest loaded the bases in the home half of the first, but were unable to capitalize.
The Panthers took a 3-0 lead in the second.
The Demon Deacons grabbed a run back in the bottom of the second as freshman shortstop JD Stein roped a two-out single to center field to score second baseman Blake Schaaf.
Sophomore left-hander Rhys Bowie tossed a scoreless frame in the top of the third, highlighted by a 4-6-3 double play.
Following a leadoff single by first baseman Kade Lewis, Wake Forest tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the third as Wentz rocketed a two-run home run to deep center field.
- The home run marked the Madison Heights, Va., native's 17th long ball of the season, tying him for the team lead.
Bowie continued to deal on the mound as he fanned three Pitt batters en route to a shutdown fourth inning.
Pitt reclaimed a one-run lead in the top of the fifth.
- The Panthers tacked on a run in the sixth to make it 5-3.
The Demon Deacons threatened with runners in scoring position, but were unable to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the sixth.
Pitt extended its lead to 7-3 in the top of the seventh.
Senior relievers Zach Johnston and Will Ray combined for a scoreless frame in the eighth.
Freshman left-hander Ryan Bosch delivered another shutout inning in the top of the ninth.
The Demon Deacons plated a run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI groundout by Wentz.
- Wake Forest ultimately fell, 7-4.

FROM COACH WALTER
"Disappointing performance today. I've got to do more to help us win. [I] need to make better decisions in those situations. Obviously, you can't walk 11 batters and have three wild pitches and two errors. There were a couple of plays that we should have made that we didn't, that went for hits. We didn't get it done offensively either. We really didn't do it on either side of the ball today, which is disappointing. I thought we were ready to play today. I thought we battled late, but we couldn't get the big hit. Give credit to Pitt today. They threw the ball well and they outplayed us." - Head Coach Tom Walter

UP NEXT
Wake Forest awaits its NCAA Regional designation on Monday, with the selection show taking place at Noon ET on ESPN2.

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