Sports > March 6, 2008

By Jeff Merski | Senior writer

The baseball team rebounded from a tough opening week, winning three of four games to tie for first place at the Screentech Wireglass Classic tournament in Dothan, Ala., before its March 4 game at Winthrop was postponed and beating UNC-Greensboro on March 5 by a score of 13-6.

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Junior southpaw Garrett Bullock hurls a fastball in the team’s season opener at Pepperdine. Bullock got the win in a 8-3 victory over Troy. (Jeff Merski/Old Gold & Black)

“We had confidence, especially in the upperclassmen pitchers,” Head Coach Rick Rembielak said. “You have to forget (about those games) and move on.”

The Deacs opened up the tournament by pounding the Kennesaw State Owls 16-0, behind a strong pitching performance by senior starter Ben Hunter, who went seven innings, allowing only three hits while striking out 11, to earn his first win of the season.

The offense was equally effective against the Owls, with every position player scoring at least one run. Junior first baseman Evan Ocheltree led the Deacs by going 4-for-5 with three runs batted in and scoring two runs.

The Deacs scored early and often, putting up runs in each of the first four frames of the game. In the second inning, the Deacs plated seven runs, with Ocheltree getting a single and double in the inning as the offense batted around.

In the eighth inning, the Deacs received some help by way of four Owl errors, leading to an additional five runs as the Deacs sent all nine men to the plate for the second time in the game.

On March 1, the Deacons faced the Troy Trojans, who entered the Saturday doubleheader undefeated. Junior pitcher Garrett Bullock rebounded from a difficult start against Pepperdine on Feb. 23 to pitch 6 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs (two earned) to earn his first win of the season.

“We knew we had to win,” Bullock said.

Sophomore relief pitcher Phil Negus finished Bullock’s effort by pitching 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief.

While Bullock let up a run in the first inning, he settled down after the Deacs scored in the second on a two RBI double by senior outfield Brett Linnenkohl, who led the offense by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, one run and five stolen bases.

“I just got fortunate enough to get on base with no one on ahead of me and I just went,” Linnenkohl said about his stolen bases.

The Deacs built on their lead in the third inning, with freshman outfielder Steven Brooks and junior third baseman Allan Dykstra each picking up an RBI to build the Deacs’ lead to 4-1. The Deacs would later add runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to pad their lead.

The Deacon offense struggled in the nightcap of the doubleheader, getting shut out 1-0, spoiling an exceptional pitching performance by redshirt senior pitcher Charlie Mellies, who went 7 1/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out eight.

The Deacs did have their chances, getting the tying run to third base in both the eighth and ninth innings with only one out. In the eighth, senior outfielder Ben Terry tripled; however, Brooks and senior outfielder Willy Fox were unable to bring him home. In the ninth, Dykstra walked and moved over to third base on a Linnenkohl single; however, Ocheltree and sophomore catcher Mike Murray could not push Dykstra home to tie the game.

The offensive struggles were left behind for the Deacs’ 15-4 victory over Penn State on March 2. Ocheltree again paced the offense, going 3-for-5 with six RBIs.

The bullpen combined for the eight-inning victory, with junior pitcher Joel Ernst earning his first victory of the year, relieving freshman Mark Adzick with the bases loaded to preserve a 6-3 Deacon advantage in the third inning.

The offense put the game out of reach in the seventh inning, with all nine batters coming up to the plate, with Ocheltree’s two-run triple breaking the game open.

On March 4, the Deacs were rained out for the second time this season, with a storm that rolled through Rock Hill, S.C., postponing the game against Winthrop to a later date.

The Deacons faced off against the UNC-Greensboro Spartans on March 5, posting a 13-6 victory on the heels of freshman outfielder Steven Brooks’ grand slam in the fifth inning, breaking open a 5-3 game at the time.

“I was sitting change-up and he threw me a fastball away and I was able to get to it,” Brooks said.

Freshman pitcher Ryan McGrath relieved starter Joel Ernst in the fourth inning, pitching a perfect 2/3 of an inning to earn his first collegiate victory.

The Deacons open up ACC play on March 7, with a three game series against Clemson. Wake plays seven of their next eight games at Hooks Stadium, including an ACC matchup against Maryland as Spring Break concludes.