March 7, 2006
CONWAY, S.C. --- Wake Forest used some quality situational hitting and benefitted from shoddy Coastal Carolina defense in an 8-5 victory Tuesday afternoon at Charles Watson Stadium. With their ninth consecutive victory, the Demon Deacons improve to 11-3 on the season. After the Chanticleers (4-10) plated three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game, 5-5, Wake Forest answered with three of their own in a wild top of the ninth inning. Redshirt sophomore Eric Williams battled back from an 0-2 count for a leadoff walk. Freshman Dustin Hood then showed bunt on an 0-1 offering from Travis Risser, but the shortstop pulled back the bunt attempt and lined a double down the left field line. With runners on second and third and no outs, junior All-American Matt Antonelli was intentionally walked to load the bases. Williams then scampered home on Risser's wild pitch and Hood, who also moved up to third, raced home when Coastal Carolina catcher Mike Fuentes launched a throw from behind home plate in an attempt to erase Williams. As if that was not bizarre enough, freshman Allan Dykstra eventually drew a walk, but Fuentes dropped ball four allowing Antonelli to score to give Wake Forest an 8-5 lead. Demon Deacon closer Ben Hunter came on in the ninth inning and retired the Chanticleers in order for his fourth save of the season. Hunter has yet to allow an earned run in 12.1 innings this season. Junior Josh Ellis (1-2) picked up the victory for the Deacons. The right-handed hurler did not allow a run in 0.2 innings. Risser (1-1) was charged with the loss for Coastal Carolina. He allowed three runs, only one earned, on one hit. Risser walked three and struck out two in 1.0 inning of work.
Sophomore Austin Jones was the only Wake Forest player with more than a hit. Jones went 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI. Hood, Antonelli, Dykstra, redshirt junior Brendan Enick and sophomore Andy Goff all added hits. Williams drove in a pair, while Dykstra and senior Casey Sterk added an RBI. The Demon Deacons grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Sterk led off the inning with a walk and promptly stole second. Sterk then scampered to third base when Fuentes threw wide of second base. Williams drove in Sterk with an RBI ground out. After Hood drew a walk, Antonelli reached on an error by Fuentes putting runners on first and second with one out for Dykstra. The first basemen followed with an RBI double down the left field line. Enick walked to load the bases and Jones closed the scoring with a sacrifice fly. The Chanticleers answered with a couple of runs in their half of the third inning. Dom Duggan, who reached with a one-out single, raced home on a wild pitch from Wake Forest starting pitcher Kip Byrum. David Anderson brought Coastal Carolina within a run, 3-2, with a two-out RBI single. Byrum left the game after inducing a double play in the fourth inning. The southpaw allowed two earned runs on four hits over 3.2 innings of work. Byrum walked two and struck out none. The Demon Deacons added two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Wake Forest loaded the bases with no outs. Jones and Goff opened the inning with back-to-back singles. After freshman Evan Ocheltree walked, Sterk drove in Jones with an RBI ground out and Williams pushed the lead to 5-2 with a sacrifice fly -- his team-best third of the season. Amazingly, Williams is 8-for-8 this season with a runner on third base and less than two outs. Freshman Tyler Smith relieved Byrum and silenced the Coastal Carolina bats over his 2.1 innings of work. The right-handed hurler allowed a double and walk to the first two batters he faced, but then retired the next seven Chanticleers in order. Coastal Carolina took advantage of Demon Deacon sophomore reliever Eric Niesen's wildness in the bottom of the eighth inning. The southpaw retired the opening batter of the inning, but walked the next two Chanticleers and uncorked a wild pitch allowing each of them to move into scoring position. Aaron Verrett then legged out an infield single to bring Coastal Carolina within two runs, 5-3. Wake Forest went to the bullpen for junior Josh Ellis, but D.J. Burns singled off Ellis to make the Deacon lead a single run, 5-4. Ellis did strikeout Derek Martin for the second out of the inning, but then walked Adam Vrable to load the bases. The Chanticleers tied the score, 5-5, on a passed ball from Jones. After another walk, the fourth of the inning, Ellis ended the inning with a force out to keep the game tied. The Demon Deacons return to action tomorrow at Hooks Stadium for a 2:30 p.m. contest against Elon. Redshirt sophomore Andrew Knox will make his first career start for Wake Forest. |
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