April 5, 2009

Box Score | Box Score in PDF Format

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Klint Reed hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the eighth and Virginia Tech starter Justin Wright threw a complete game, allowing just two runs on eight hits, as the Hokies defeated Wake Forest 3-2 in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at English Field.

The loss snaps Wake Forest's six-game winning streak and drops the Demon Deacons to 17-12 and 5-10 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Virginia Tech improves to 17-12 and 4-10 in league play.

A day after the two teams combined for 29 runs on 34 hits, the pitching controlled the series finale as both starters were extremely effective. Wake Forest starter Garrett Bullock allowed two runs in the first, but settled down after that, shutting down the Hokie offense. Wright kept the Demon Deacon offense in check throughout the first six innings. Wake Forest got on the board with two runs in the seventh, but the Deacs were not able to muster anything else against the lefty. Wright struck out eight and walked none, while scattering eight hits. He improved his record to 2-1 on the season with the victory.

After Saturday's game was played in 3 hours and 47 minutes, Sunday's series finale took a tidy 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Steven Brooks, Dustin Hood and Tyler Smith each had a team-high two hits in the game to lead Wake Forest, while Brooks and Carlos Lopez each had an RBI. Reed led the Hokies at the plate with two hits, including the game-winning home run, two runs scored and an RBI. Anthony Sosnoskie also had two hits for Virginia Tech.

Ryan McGrath suffered the loss for Wake Forest, allowing a run on two hits in 2/3 of an inning, to drop to 2-1 on the year.

With the score tied at two, Virginia Tech grabbed the lead with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Reed led off the inning with his first home run of the season. Reed hit a line drive over the wall in left field to put the Hokies on top 3-2.

Wake Forest was retired in order in the ninth as Virginia Tech held on for the 3-2 victory.

The Hokies jumped out to an early lead by scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Reed and Steve Bumbry led off the inning with back-to-back singles. After Steve Domecus flied out to deep left-center field for the first out of the inning, Sosnoskie singled through the left side on a hit and run to score Reed and send Bumbry to third. Mike Kaminski singled up the middle to score Bumbry and increase the lead to 2-0. Bullock got out of the jam by forcing Michael Seaborn to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the threat.

Wake Forest had its first scoring threat of the game in the third. Brooks singled to center with one out. Brooks was picked off for the second out of the inning. The pickoff proved to be important as the next two batters, Shane Kroker and Hood, singled to put runners at the corners with two outs. Mike Murray popped out to the second baseman in shallow right-center field to end the threat and keep the Hokies in front by two.

After struggling offensively for the first six innings, the Demon Deacon offense was able to put together a game-tying rally in the seventh. Weldon Woodall was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to third when Smith doubled to the warning track in left-center field. Carlos Lopez singled to left field to score Woodall for Wake's first run of the game. Evan Ocheltree flew out to shallow left field and Ryan Semeniuk struck out swinging for the first two outs of the inning. Brooks came up with a big two-out single in the hole between second and third. The Virginia Tech shortstop made a great diving play on the ball and tried to throw to second to retire Lopez but his throw was late as Smith crossed home plate with the tying run.

The Hokies nearly regained the lead in the home half of the seventh inning. Anthony Sosnoskie led off the inning with a single, but was retired at second on a fielder's choice by Kaminski. Seaborn flew out to right for the second out of the inning. Ronnie Shaban was hit by a pitch and Marc Zecchino walked to load the bases with two outs. Wake Forest went to its bullpen to bring in McGrath, while the Hokies countered with pinch hitter Buddy Sosnoskie. Sosnoskie nearly cleared the bases with a grand slam, but his fly ball was hauled in by Semeniuk at the wall in left field to keep the game tied.

Wake Forest returns home on Tuesday, April 7, to play host to USC Upstate. First pitch at Wake Forest Baseball Park is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be aired on WakeForestSports.com.