Winston-Salem, N.C. – Wake Forest hit three home runs in recording a pair of three-run innings, while its pitching staff held the Catamount order in check as the Demon Deacons dealt Western Carolina a 6-1 defeat on Friday evening at the David F. Couch Ballpark.
The Catamounts were limited to a pair of singles but stranded a combined nine runners on base after drawing nine walks on the day, coming against a dozen strikeouts.
Jackson Lyda (1-for-5) singled, and
Cole Jones (1-for-3) reached twice with a run-scoring single for WCU's lone RBI, adding a walk.
Walker Fox walked a team-high three times against the Demon Deacons, with
Trent Turner and
Wyatt Stanley drawing a pair of free passes apiece as the nine walks were spread among five players. Stanley stretched his reached base safely streak to a team season-long 23-straight games.
Wake Forest collected 11 hits spread among seven players, with Kade Lewis (2-for-4) hitting a three-run home run, and Andrew Costello (2-for-3) reaching twice with a walk and a two-run homer. Dalton Wentz (1-for-3) hit a solo home run in the winning effort.
The series continues Saturday with a 6 p.m. first pitch before concluding on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Winston-Salem. Both games will be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network with free, live streaming audio online at CatamountSports.com. The two games will also be streamed on the ACC Network Xtra (
paid subscription required), available through the Watch ESPN app.
The first two Deacs reached base in the bottom of the first inning before Kade Lewis belted a three-run home run that would ultimately provide all the run support the home squad would need. After the blast, the Catamounts retired the next three Wake hitters to keep the game within arm's length.
Three innings later – and after WCU stranded the bases loaded in the top of the fourth – Dalton Wentz led off with a solo home run to push the lead to four. Andrew Costello later added a two-run homer in the same frame, ultimately chasing Catamount starter
Carter Burnette.
Western Carolina (32-18) did respond a half inning later as
Trent Turner drew his first of two walks, moving to second on a walk to his Western North Carolina teammate,
Walker Fox. A
Noah Quarless flyout moved Turner 90 feet away, where he was plated on a run-scoring single by
Cole Jones to put the Catamounts on the board.
It was WCU's only marker and ultimately provided the final score. The Catamounts stranded nine runners on base in the loss, while Wake left five on the base paths.
Among WCU's defensive highlights were a double-play turned in the seventh inning on a fly-ball out to right field, where
Cole Jones gunned a runner down trying to score from third base. In that same inning,
Walker Fox connected with
Jackson Lyda and
Noah Quarless to end the frame with a putout at home.
WCU starter
Carter Burnette (2-7) was saddled with the loss, surrendering six runs on six hits with three strikeouts against a walk.
Griffin Guinther and
Ryan White both tossed 1.2 relief innings out of the bullpen, Guinther striking out one and White fanning a pair.
Shane Huntsberger tossed a third of an inning, with
Colton Starling pitching a perfect eighth.
Chris Levonas (9-3) was credited with the victory after being lifted after two innings by design, striking out four with just two base runners allowed on a pair of walks. Evan Jones tossed three relief innings, working around five walks with three strikeouts, while Zach Johnston collected the four-inning save, striking out five against two walks of hitless, scoreless relief.
The series continues Saturday before finishing on Sunday afternoon in Winston. WCU then ventures to Presbyterian on Tuesday, May 12, to conclude the road portion of its schedule.
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