April 14, 2010
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| Updated Season Stats
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -
Elon scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to take the lead and held on for a 9-8 win on a chilly and overcast Wednesday night at Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park.
Wake Forest falls to 10-25 with the loss, while Elon improves to 23-12 with the victory.
Jim Stokes earned his first win of the season in relief for Elon, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings and allowing three hits with three strikeouts. Ryan McGrath received the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season. McGrath gave up a run and walked the only batter he faced.
Each starter pitched well, but didn't factor in the decision. Demon Deacon starter Michael Dimock pitched 6.0 innings, giving up five runs, four of them earned, on four hits with three strikeouts. Elon starter J.D. Reichenbach gave up just one run on four hits in 4.0 innings.
Bentley Heyman led Wake Forest at the plate with three hits and a run scored. Mark Rhine hit the first home run of his collegiate career with two RBIs. Ryan Semeniuk and Mac Williamson each added two hits in the loss.
Matt Hinson and Mike Melillo each had two hits and homered for Elon in the victory. Scott Riddle added a pair of RBIs and went 1-for-2 in the game.
Wake Forest had a chance to get an early lead in the bottom of the first, but was unable to plate a run. Heyman and Semeniuk started the inning with infield singles. Steven Brooks attempted to move each runner up a base with a sacrifice bunt, but his attempt was fielded by the pitcher, who threw to third for the first out of the inning. Mike Murray was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Williamson ended the inning by grounding into a 4-6-3 double play to keep the game scoreless.
Elon took the advantage with two runs in the top of the second. Ryan Adams walked to start the inning and came around to score on a one-out, two-run home run by Hinson, his 10th of the season, to put the Phoenix in front 2-0.
The Demon Deacons tied the game with two runs in the home half of the fifth inning. Semeniuk started the inning with a home run, his team-leading sixth of the season. Brooks then doubled down the left field line. A fly out to right field by Murray advanced Brooks to third. Williamson lined a ball off the pitcher, reaching first for a single with Brooks staying at third. A walk to Conway put a runner on every base with one out. Brooks came across to score the tying run on a wild pitch, with Williamson moving to third and Conway going to second. Kroker struck out looking for the second out of the inning and Lubanski walked to load the bases again with two outs. Rhine struck out looking to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.
Elon regained the lead with three runs in the top of the sixth. Alex Swim reached on a fielding error by Conway at first to start the inning. Melillo launched the first pitch he saw over the right field wall to put the Phoenix in front 4-2. With one out, Neal Pritchard walked and advanced to third on a single through the right side by Hinson. Ben Scott drove home Pritchard with a hit and run single through the right side to make the score 5-2.
Wake Forest grabbed its first lead of the game with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Heyman doubled to the right-center field alley to start the inning. After Semeniuk struck out looking for the first out of the inning, Brooks walked to put runners at first and second. A balk moved each runner up a base. Murray reached base on a walk to load the bases with one out. A walk to Williamson scored Heyman to cut the lead to 5-3. Brooks came home to score on a passed ball. Conway tied the game with a single up the middle, scoring Murray from third. A sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of Kroker put the Deacs in front 6-5, scoring Williamson on the play.
Elon scored three times in the top of the eighth to take the lead. Adams struck out swinging to start the inning, but reached first on a wild pitch. A walk to Pritchard put runners at first and second. Hinson grounded into a fielder's choice to first with Pritchard being retired at second on the play. Scott loaded the bases with a walk. Riddle grounded a single through the right to score Adams and pinch runner David Wood to put Elon on top 7-6. After a walk to Seth Canipe, Harry Austin drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Phoenix added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Melillo singled to left center to start the inning and moved to second on a stolen base. A single to left center by Adams just over a leaping Rhine at short advanced Melillo to third.
Pritchard scored Melillo with a single through the left side to give the Phoenix a three-run lead.
Wake Forest was able to trim the lead by two in the bottom of the ninth, but came up one run short. Pinch hitter Trenton Langston led off the inning with a walk. After a strikeout to Ryan Lloyd, Rhine lined a homer over the left field fence, the first of his collegiate career, to cut the lead to 9-8. The next two Wake Forest batters were retired to end the game.
Wake Forest returns to Atlantic Coast Conference play this weekend with three games at Boston College. Game times are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Friday, 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
For all of the latest information on Wake Forest baseball, please log on to www.WakeForestSports.com or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account @WFUBaseball or www.twitter.com/WFUBaseball.
