No. 2 Florida State Pulls Out 3-2 Defeat of Wake Forest in 11 Innings
Charlie Mellies shuts down the Seminoles over nine innings, receives no-decision

March 30, 2008

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest's Charlie Mellies allowed just one run on three hits over nine innings, but it was not enough as No. 2 Florida State pulled out a 3-2 defeat of the Demon Deacons on a cold Sunday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.

With the loss, the Deacons drop to 12-13 overall and 5-6 in the ACC. The Seminoles improve to 23-3 overall and 11-1 in conference play.

Mellies and Seminole starter Elih Villanueva battled in a classic pitching duel. Each starter allowed a run in the first but shut the opposing offense down from then on. Neither Mellies or Villanueva factored into the decision.

Mellies pitched nine innings, allowing the one run on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks. The senior righthander retired 10 straight batters during a stretch that lasted from the first to fourth innings. He also set down nine of 10 Seminoles from the fifth through eighth innings. In only the first and ninth innings did he allow a runner to get into scoring position. Mellies held FSU hitless after the fifth inning.

The outing was arguably Mellies' best since pitching a complete game shutout of then No. 1-ranked Florida on Feb. 26, 2006. He had elbow surgery later that spring and has since worked his way back into his old form.

Villanueva matched Mellies inning-for-inning until giving way to the bullpen with Wake rallying in the eighth. The righthander surrendered one run on five hits with nine strikeouts and two walks in 7 1/3 innings of work. He threw a season-high 132 pitches on the day.

With each of the starting pitchers out of the game entering the extra frames, the bats on both sides went to work.

FSU got to reliever Alex Wiesner for an unearned run in the 10th. Tommy Oravetz reached on a leadoff walk. After getting behind 3-0 to Mike McGee, Wiesner rebounded to get him to fly out. He then induced a popout by Stuart Tapley for the second out.

Wiesner looked to have the third out when he picked Oravetz off first. Oravetz broke for second on the play, and first baseman Allan Dykstra threw to second. However, the throw went into leftfield, allowing the runner to advance to third. Tyler Holt laid down a perfectly-placed bunt along the first base line on the next pitch from Wiesner. Holt beat Dykstra to the bag to allow Oravetz to score the go-ahead run.

The Deacons responded in fine fashion by plating the tying run in the bottom of the inning. Ben Terry led off by reaching on an infield single and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dustin Hood. One out later, the Noles intentionally walked Dykstra with first base open. Mike Murray made FSU pay by lacing a single to center to drive in Terry and move Dykstra to third.

Wake almost scored the winning run on the next play. Andy Goff hit a screaming line drive off the leg of reliever Bo O'Dell. O'Dell recovered to make a diving shuffle-throw to catcher Buster Posey to get Dykstra sliding into home.

FSU quickly took advantage of the second life, scoring an unearned run off Brad Kledzik in the 11th. Posey led off by reaching on an infield single that trickled down the third base line. Rye followed with a sharp single to right, and both runners moved up when the ball was bobbled. Dennis Guinn then drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly to deep center.

Wake Forest put the leadoff man on in its half of the 11th but could not push the tying run across. Evan Ocheltree singled through the right side and then moved to second on an Austin Jones sacrifice bunt. However, Ocheltree was stranded there as O'Dell ended the game on a flyout and a groundout.

O'Dell (4-1) earned the win with 3 2/3 innings of relief. The righthander gave up one run on three hits and a walk.

Kledzik (1-2) took the loss for Wake. He surrendered an unearned run on two hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

Four players combined for Wake Forest's eight hits. Hood, Murray, Ocheltree and Terry had two hits apiece. Terry scored twice, while Hood and Murray notched an RBI each. Dykstra was walked three times in the game, twice intentionally. As a team, the Deacs left 11 runners on base, including eight in scoring position.

Florida State got on the board with a run in the first inning. Tyler Holt reached on a leadoff walk and then came around to score one out later on a Posey double off the leftfield wall. Third baseman Tyler Smith helped the Deacs get out of the inning with just one coming across. Smith made a diving catch on a line drive off the bat of Guinn.

Wake Forest quickly responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the first. However, the Deacons missed a golden opportunity to put more on the board. Terry led off with a double to left. Hood followed with a single through the right side to score Terry. Willy Fox reached on a fielder's choice, and Dykstra was walked to load the bases with no outs. Villanueva worked his way out of the jam by getting a 1-2-3 double play and then a groundout to third.

The Deacons threatened to take the lead in the fourth, putting runners on second and third with two outs. Murray hit a one-out single to center, and one out later Ocheltree doubled down the leftfield line. However, Villanueva got a strikeout to strand the runners in scoring position.

Wake threatened again against Villanueva in the eighth but came up empty. Fox and Dykstra reached with one out to chase Villanueva from the game. O'Dell came on to get an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

The Deacs put a runner on in the ninth but could not push him across. Jones reached on a two-out error by the Seminole third baseman. Smith then looped a shallow fly to rightfield. Jack Rye came on to make the diving catch and end the would-be rally.

Wiesner allowed an unearned run on one hit and a walk in his inning of work.

Defensively, Terry ran down a deep fly ball off the bat of Tony Delmonico to lead off the seventh inning. Terry made the running catch over his shoulder just before hitting the centerfield wall.

Posey led the Seminoles at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Holt scored a run and drove in a run.

After surrendering 21 runs to Florida State on Friday, the Deacs held the Seminoles to a combined five runs in the final two games of the series. The total is FSU's lowest two-game scoring output of the season. The only other time the Noles have been held to three or less runs in a game this season was a 6-1 loss at No. 3 Florida on March 18.

Wake Forest is back in action with a pair of non-conference games during the mid-week. The Deacons will travel to UNC Wilmington on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and then host No. 20 Coastal Carolina on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Deacs will play at ACC rival NC State next weekend in Raleigh.