Wake Forest Walks Off With 4-3 Defeat of Maryland
Demon Deacons post two walk-off wins in one day, earn series defeat of Terps

March 16, 2008

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest posted two walk-off victories in one day to earn an ACC series win against Maryland on Sunday afternoon at Hooks Stadium. After the Demon Deacons defeated the Terrapins, 5-4, in 11 innings in the conclusion of Saturday's suspended game, Wake scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to steal the second game, 4-3.

With the pair of victories, the Deacons move to 11-6 overall and 4-2 in the ACC. Maryland drops to 8-9 overall and 1-5 in conference play.

Wake Forest found itself an early 3-0 hold and trailed the entire game until the ninth inning. The Deacons put single runs across in the fifth and seventh innings before finally breaking through with the tying and winning runs in the ninth.

Willy Fox reached on a one-out single to start the rally. Dykstra was then hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Evan Ocheltree flied out to center, but pinch runner Steven Brooks was able to move up to third on the play, sliding in just ahead of the tag. Maryland then went to righthander Brad Taylor to face Andy Goff and potentially close the game.

Goff, however, denied Taylor the save, driving in Brooks with the tying run by beating out a slow-rolling infield single to third. Pinch hitter Weldon Woodall came on and quickly found himself in an 0-2 hole. Three pitches later, though, Woodall found himself on first courtesy of a hit-by-pitch.

Austin Jones, who had come on as a pinch hitter an inning earlier, hit the first pitch he saw from Taylor sharply to short. Terrapin shortstop Joe Palumbo briefly muffed the grounder, but that was all it took for Woodall to be able to slide in safely to second just ahead of Palumbo's toss--allowing Dykstra to score the winning run.

It was the Deacons' second walk-off win of the day, as Wake defeated Maryland in 11 innings earlier in the afternoon in the completion of Saturday's game, which was suspended to Sunday due to rain.

Alex Wiesner (2-0) earned the win for the Deacons with two innings of stellar relief. Wiesner came on with one on and no out in the eighth but was able to strand the runner. The lefty sent the Terrapins down in order in the ninth, setting up Wake's comeback bid.

Starter Charlie Mellies looked to have another tough-luck loss but received a no-decision instead. Mellies went 7+ innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on seven hits. He struck out five and walked two.

Fox led the Deacs at the plate with a 3-for-4 day. Fox, Dykstra and Goff drove in a run apiece. Dustin Hood extended his hitting streak to a career-long 10 games, while Dykstra moved his streak to nine games.

Maryland took an early 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the third inning. Steve Braun reached on a one-out error, and Jensen Pupa followed with a single to put runners at the corners. Chad Durakis slapped a single through the left side to score Braun. The Terrapins proceeded to then load the bases with one out, but Mellies used a strikeout and a flyout to end the threat.

The Terps put two more runs on the board in the fifth. Pupa hit a one-out single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Pupa then scored when Chad Durakis reached on an error. Gerry Spessard followed with a run-scoring single that brought Maryland's lead to 3-0.

The Deacons were able to get one run back in the bottom half of the fifth. Eric Williams reached on a one-out walk and moved to second on a groundout. Hood walked to put two on for Fox, who responded with a single up the middle to drive in Williams.

Wake Forest added another run in the seventh without the virtue of a hit. The Deacs scored just one run in the inning despite loading the bases with one out. Williams walked and Ben Terry was hit by a pitch to start the inning. After Hood sacrificed the two up a base, Pupa walked Fox to load it up for Dykstra.

Lefty reliever Adam Kolarek came on to face Dykstra, but promptly hit the slugger with a 2-2 pitch to bring home Williams. Kolarek and righthander Matt Quinn quickly ended the rally with a strikeout and a flyout, respectively, stranding three runners on base.

Wake had an opportunity to push the tying run across in its half of the eighth. Tyler Smith led off with a single to left center. Pinch runner Nathan Frazier moved to second on a Jones sacrifice and to third on a Williams groundout. However, that was as far as Frazier would get as he was left stranded at third.

Quinn (1-1) took the loss for the visitors, allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits in two innings of work.

Starter Pupa worked 6 1/3 innings, surrendering two runs on three hits. The righthander walked seven and struck out one. After the Deacons put together back-to-back one-out singles in the first, Pupa recovered to set down the next nine batters in order.

Pupe and Bill Rice had two hits each to lead the Terps at the plate.

The Deacons have not lost a season series to the Terrapins since 2000.

Wake Forest returns to action with a pair of road games during the midweek. The Deacons will play at Appalachian State on Tuesday at 3 p.m. and at Elon on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Wake returns to ACC play next weekend with a three-game series at Miami.