Wake Forest Evens Series with 9-8 Win over Duke

Saturday, March 23

Durham Bulls Athletic Park ()

1:00 PM

Duke University

13-10, 3-5

Wake Forest

14-10, 4-4

Wake Forest

Duke

Wake Forest Evens Series with 9-8 Win over Duke

3/23/2019 6:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score BASE: Pollard Postgame Wake Forest 3/23/19 Boxscore (PDF)Boxscore

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. – A solo home run to lead off the top of the eighth inning from Bobby Seymour provided the difference Saturday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park as the Duke baseball team fell 9-8 to Wake Forest. With the loss, the Blue Devils move to 13-10 on the season, including a 3-5 record in ACC play.

Despite the setback, Duke's bats have come to life this weekend, tallying 24 runs in the first two games of the series after being held to 17 runs in the previous four contests, all losses. Of the Blue Devils' 11 hits in Saturday's contest, six were for extra bases, including five doubles.

Wake Forest was led on offense by its second, third and fourth hitters in the order as Patrick Frick, Chris Lanzilli and Seymour combined for 10 hits, six runs batted in and five scored as the team scored in seven of the game's nine innings.

The Demon Deacons (14-10, 4-4 ACC) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the opening frame. Michael Turconi led off with a single. After a lineout, a Lanzilli double put runners on second and third. Duke wiggled out of the inning allowing only one run on a sacrifice fly to left from Seymour that drove in Turconi. A strikeout ended the threat.

Duke seemingly took command of the game in the bottom of the frame with four runs to lead 4-1. Sophomore Chris Crabtree led off with a home run to left, his second long ball of the year. Following a whiff, freshman Rudy Maxwell dropped a double into left center, just out of reach of diving shortstop Frick. Junior Erikson Nichols followed with a flair into right center that allowed Maxwell to score and the Blue Devils to take the lead at 2-1. Nichols then chugged home on junior Matt Mervis' double down the right-field line that went all the way to the corner. Graduate student Kyle Gallagher doubled to left to plate Mervis for the fourth tally before a strikeout ended the frame.

In the top of the third, the Demon Deacons rallied with two runs to cut the deficit to 4-3. Frick led off the inning with a homer to left. Lanzilli then doubled off the third base bag and scored on a Seymour single to right field. After a fly out, a walk and infield single loaded the bases, but consecutive whiffs ended the threat to keep the contest at a one-run game.

Wake Forest tied the contest at 4-4 with a run in the top of the fourth. With one down, Frick singled through the left side. After a fly out, Frick stole second and scored on a Seymour single to right center. A bunt single from Bruce Steel put runners on first and second with two down, but a strikeout kept the score deadlocked.

Duke answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to regain the lead at 6-4. Sophomore Chase Cheek was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on a double off the glove of a diving Steel at third by sophomore Michael Rothenberg. After a strikeout, senior Kennie Taylor doubled to left to plate Rothenberg and score the inning's second run.

Again the Demon Deacons knotted the game, this time at 6-6 in the top of the fifth. Jake Mueller led off with a walk and moved to third on a DJ Poteet double to right field. Logan Harvey's sacrifice fly to the wall in right plated Mueller and moved Poteet to third. Turconi provided another sacrifice fly, delivering Poteet to even the score. Turconi caught stealing ended the inning.

A bases-loaded walk and hit by pitch provided the answers for Duke in the bottom of the frame to recapture the advantage at 8-6. After a groundout started the frame, Mervis walked, Gallagher singled to right and Cheek walked to fill the bases. A free pass to freshman Ethan Murray forced in Mervis. Following a foul out, Crabtree was hit by a pitch to force in Gallagher for the two-run lead. A fly out halted the scoring.

Wake Forest again chipped away, scoring a run in the top of the sixth to make it an 8-7 affair. Lanzilli led off with a double and moved to second on a fly out to center. After a strikeout, Michael Ludowig beat out an infield single to third base, allowing Lanzilli to score. Another whiff closed the frame.

The Demon Deacons got the contest back to even in the top of the seventh at 8-8. Poteet started the frame with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a fly out, Frick singled to right to deliver Poteet. A strikeout kept the game tied.

After stranding three Duke base runners in the bottom of the seventh, Wake Forest went ahead 9-8 in the top of the eighth as Seymour struck again, this time with a leadoff home run.

The Blue Devils got their leadoff batter on in the bottom of the eighth as Mervis hit one off the pitcher's leg for a single, but he was erased at second on a bunt attempt from freshman RJ Schreck. A strikeout followed, but Schreck moved to third on a wild pitch. Schreck attempted to take third on another wild pitch, but was thrown out to end the threat.

Duke went down in order in the ninth.

On the mound for Duke, sophomore Bryce Jarvis gave up his first earned runs in ACC play, yielding six runs with 11 hits, three walks and six strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Senior Hunter Davis went 2.1 frames, surrendering two runs on four hits, a walk and two whiffs. Sophomore Thomas Girard (0-2) took the loss in throwing 2.1 innings and giving up one run on three hits and three strikeouts.

Wake Forest started with Jared Shuster, who kept the Demon Deacons in the game, going 4.1 innings and giving up eight runs on eight hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. Bobby Hearn recorded one out, hit one batter and gave up a walk. Antonio Menendez (2-1) earned the win, throwing 2.1 innings of shutout ball, yielding two hits and two walks to go along with four whiffs. William Fleming earned the save in two scoreless frames with one hit and three strikeouts.

The teams decide the series Sunday at 1 p.m. inside Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Junior Bill Chillari (2-0) takes the ball for the Blue Devils with Wake Forest handing it to Morgan McSweeny (3-1).

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