May 16, 2009

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest baseball team closed the 2009 season on Saturday afternoon, dropping both games of a doubleheader to No. 24 Miami at Wake Forest Baseball Park. The Hurricanes won game one 19-6, before completing the sweep with a 4-2 win in game two.

With the pair of victories, Miami closes the regular season with a 35-18 overall record and an 18-12 Atlantic Coast Conference mark. The Hurricanes earned the number five seed in next week's ACC Tournament in Durham, N.C. Wake Forest closes the year with a 22-30 record and a 6-24 conference record.

The Hurricane offense flexed its muscle throughout both games, combining for eight home runs in the two games. Chris Herrmann led the Hurricanes in the two games, hitting a perfect 7-for-7 with two homers, five RBIs and three runs scored. Yasmani Grandal finished the twinbill 6-for-9 at the plate.

Shane Kroker and Steven Brooks each homered in the doubleheader for Wake Forest. Austin Stadler went 3-for-5 in the two games, coming in as a pinch hitter in the first game and serving as the designated hitter in game two.

The pair of games also marked the final two games in the careers of the eight member Wake Forest senior class. Garrett Bullock, Joel Ernst, Dustin Hood, Brad Kledzik, Evan Ocheltree, Tyler Smith, Weldon Woodall and Greg Young closed their collegiate careers on Saturday afternoon.

Game 1: Hurricanes Pound Six Homers in 19-6 Victory over Wake Forest

No. 24 Miami hit six home runs, including two from Chris Herrmann, to win the first game of Saturday's doubleheader 19-6 at Wake Forest Baseball Park.

Five different players homered for Miami in the game. Dave DiNatale, Jason Hagerty, Chris Herrmann (2), Scott Lawson and Harold Martinez had homers for the Hurricanes.

Steven Brooks hit his fifth home run of the season and drove in two runs for Wake Forest in the loss. Mike Murray had a team-high two hits and scored a run.

Iden Nazario earned the win for Miami to improve to 6-3 on the season. Nazario gave up two runs on three hits in six innings pitched. He struck out nine and walked three. Jason Santana earned his first save of the season by throwing the final three innings of the game and allowing four runs on five hits.

Pitching in the last game of his collegiate career, Garrett Bullock suffered the loss to drop to 1-5 on the season. Bullock allowed nine runs on 13 hits in five innings pitched.

Miami had a scoring chance in the first half inning. Lawson started the game with a double down the left-field line and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Ryan Jackson. Hagerty hit a chopper to third and Shane Kroker threw home and got Lawson in a rundown for the second out of the inning. Yasmani Grandal lined out to left to end the inning.

Wake Forest had a chance to plate a run in the bottom of the first, but left the runner stranded at third. Brooks led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Hood. A wild pitch advanced Brooks to third with one out. Murray struck out swinging and Woodall grounded out to third to keep the Deacs off the scoreboard.

The Hurricanes grabbed the early lead with four runs in the top of the second. Herrmann led off the inning with his seventh home run of the season. After the next two batters were retired, Ted Blackman singled to center field and Nathan Melendres beat out an infield single to put runners at first and second. Lawson launched a 1-0 pitch off the scoreboard in right-center field for his second home run of the weekend and fourth of the season to make the score 4-0.

Miami stretched the lead to seven with three runs in the third. Hagerty started the inning with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Grandal doubled off the right-center field wall to plate Hagerty. Grandal came around to score on a single by Herrmann. A bloop single to left off the bat of Dave DiNatale scored the third Hurricane run of the inning.

The Demon Deacons answered with two runs in the bottom of the third. Ocheltree was hit by a pitch to start the inning, but was retired at second when Shane Kroker grounded into a fielder's choice. Brooks lined his fourth home run of the season over the left-center field fence to cut the Miami lead to 7-2.

Miami made the lead seven again with two runs in the fifth. Grandal led off the inning with a single and crossed the plate on DiNatale's two-out, two-run home run to put the Hurricanes in front 9-2.

The Hurricanes plated four runs in the top of the sixth. Grandal drove in a run on a single. Hermann and Martinez hit back-to-back homers with Hermann hitting a two-run shot and Martinez belting a solo blast

After Miami scored two runs in the top of the eighth, Wake Forest answered with four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Hood led off the inning with a walk and moved to third on a single to right by Murray. Murray moved to second on a fielding error by the Miami rightfielder. A groundout by Woodall to second base scored Hood. Bentley Heyman hit a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Murray. Pinch hitter Smith drew a two-out walk and moved to second on defensive indifference. Pinch hitter Austin Stadler doubled to right field to bring Smith across for Wake's fifth run of the game. Ocheltree reached on an infield single to second. The Miami second baseman threw the ball away, which allowed Stadler to score from third.

Miami closed the scoring with four runs in the top of the ninth.

Game 2: Miami Completes Weekend Sweep with 4-2 Win in Pitcher's Dual

Five Miami pitchers combined to allow just two runs and six hits as the Hurricanes completed a sweep of the doubleheader on Saturday with a 4-2 win.

After scoring 42 runs in the first two games, the Hurricane bats were held in check in the finale, but the pitching picked up the slack, giving up just two runs on six hits to the Demon Deacon offense.

Michael Rudman earned the win in relief for Miami, throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings, to improve to 4-0. Kyle Bellamy picked up his ACC-leading 15th save of the season, tossing 2 1/3 perfect innings.

The Demon Deacons had a solid game on the mound as well as Wake Forest used four pitchers. Starter Michael Dimock went six innings and gave up three runs, only two of them earned, on 11 hits. Ryan McGrath and Zach White each threw a scoreless inning out of the bullpen.

Ryan Jackson and Jason Hegerty hit homers for Miami. Jackson finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Yasmani Grandal had a team-high three hits.

Austin Stadler and Steven Brooks led the Demon Deacons with two hits. Shane Kroker hit his second home run of the season and drove in two runs.

Miami opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first. With one out, Jackson hit a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left-center field for his fourth home run of the season.

The Hurricanes added two runs in the top of the third. Jackson reached first on a throwing error by third baseman Kroker. Jason Hagerty belted a two-run homer to center field to put Miami in front 3-0.

Wake Forest had its first scoring opportunity of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, but stranded runners at the corners. Weldon Woodall hit a one-out double down the left-field line and advanced to third on a groundout to first by Evan Ocheltree. Tyler Smith drew a two-out walk to put runners at first and third. Bentley Heyman flew out to left to end the Demon Deacon threat.

Miami struck again with a run in the seventh. Grandal hit a one-out singled and moved to second on a passed ball. A single to center off the bat of Chris Hermann scored Grandal for the Hurricanes' fourth run of the game.

Wake Forest plated its first runs of the game with two in the bottom of the seventh. After the first two batters of the inning were retired, Stadler lined a single to center field. Kroker blasted his second home run of the season over the left-field fence to cut Miami's lead to 4-2. Brooks ripped a single to center field to bring the tying run to the plate. Dustin Hood grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Demon Deacons could get no closer as Miami's All-American closer Bellamy came in to shut the door, retiring all seven batters he faced for his 15th save of the season.

The doubleheader on Saturday closes the 2009 baseball season for Wake Forest. Stay tuned to WakeForestSports.com during the summer for updates on the Demon Deacon baseball program.