Wake Forest Shuts Down No. 2 Florida State, 4-2
Deacons even weekend series behind six shutout innings from Garrett Bullock

March 29, 2008

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Behind six shutout innings from starter Garrett Bullock, Wake Forest handed No. 2-ranked Florida State its first ACC loss of the season with a 4-2 defeat of the Seminoles on a rain-soaked Saturday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.

The Deacons snapped their six-game losing streak and improved to 12-12 overall and 5-5 in the ACC. The Seminoles saw their six-game winning streak come to an end, falling to 22-3 overall and 10-1 in conference play.

Bullock (3-1) shut down the vaunted FSU offense in one of the best starts of his career. The junior lefty scattered six hits over six innings. He struck out five and walked five.

Phil Negus also turned in a stellar outing in relief of Bullock. The sophomore pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings and did not allow a single base hit. Negus struck out two and walked two before leaving with one out and no runners on in the ninth.

Dustin Hood led the Deacs at the plate, coming up with the big hit in the third inning. Hood finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs. It was his two-run single in the third that put Wake Forest on top early in the game.

Tyler Smith also had a productive day offensively, going 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Smith hit a two-out double in the eighth to drive in an important insurance run.

Austin Jones scored twice on the day. Prior to his strikeout in the eighth, he had reached base safely in seven consecutive plate appearances.

The Deacons handed Florida State starter Geoff Parker (2-1) his first loss of the season. The righthander allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits in six innings of work. He struck out six and walked three.

Wake Forest held the Seminole offense scoreless through the first eight innings. FSU leads the ACC in most offensive categories, including runs, hits and homers. However, the Noles were unable to touch the Deacon pitchers until getting to relievers Alex Wiesner and Brad Kledzik in the ninth.

Florida State threatened in the third, putting two on with one out and then loading the bases with two outs. However, Bullock worked his way out of the jam, ending the inning with a strikeout.

Wake Forest struck first with two runs in the bottom of the third. Jones reached on an error, and Smith followed with a walk. Ben Terry then loaded the bases with a bunt single along the third base line. Hood roped the first pitch he saw into leftfield to score Jones and Smith. The Deacs proceeded to load the bases again with one out, but Parker was able to get out of the jam with consecutive strikeouts.

The Seminoles threatened again in the fourth but came up empty. FSU loaded the bases with two outs, but Bullock got Jason Stidham to fly out to shallow left to end the threat.

FSU put together another futile rally in the fifth. The Noles put the first two runners on with back-to-back singles from Buster Posey and Dennis Guinn. However, Tony Delmonico grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, and Bullock struck out Jack Rye to end the inning.

The Deacons added a run with a two-out rally in the sixth. Jones reached on a hit by pitch, and Smith followed with a single through the right side to put runners on the corners. Parker then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing to Jones to score easily.

Wake plated another insurance run off reliever Jimmy Marshall in the eighth. Andy Goff reached on a leadoff walk, and two outs later Smith doubled off the leftfield wall to score Goff from first.

Florida State would not go quietly in the ninth. After Negus retired the first batter, the lefty Wiesner was brought on to face the lefthanded-hitting Stidham. Wiesner got Stidham to fly out to right. He then had two strikes on Posey but eventually walked him.

Wake's closer Kledzik then came on in a non-save situation. He walked the first two batters he faced before Rye grounded a single through the right side to score a pair. Kledzik rebounded to strikeout Mike McGee for the final out of the game.

The Deacon pitchers combined to walk 10 batters in the game. However, only two of those batters would come around to score as the Seminoles left 14 runners on base.

The win was Wake Forest's first defeat of Florida State in seven meetings (since 2006). The Deacs now have a chance for their first series win against the Seminoles since 2002.

Defensively, Evan Ocheltree made his second highlight-reel catch in as many games. After robbing a grand slam in Friday's game, Ocheltree made a diving catch in foul territory on a flyball off the bat of Luke Smierciak in the second inning.

The start of the game was delayed one hour due to rain that moved through the area in the morning. The grounds crew pulled the tarp off at 11:45 a.m. and worked the field into excellent condition.

The teams will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday afternoon. RHP Charlie Mellies (0-2, 4.94) will take the mound for the Deacs, while the Seminoles will start LHP Elih Villanueva (3-0, 5.04). First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Hooks Stadium.