Sports > April 19, 2007

By Gerard McMahon | Senior writer

After a five-game winning streak, Wake Forest took one game in the series at Hooks Stadium from No. 13 Clemson before dropping a crushing 8-7 game at High Point and finishing off a home-and-home series sweep of No. 19 Coastal Carolina to move their record to 22-19 (8-10) on the season.

click to enlarge

Sophomore Evan Ocheltree swings away during Wake Forest's series with Clemson. (Jeff Merski/Old Gold & Black)

“Winning ACC games and Top 25 teams like Coastal Carolina really helps out our resume for the NCAAs,” junior pitcher Ben Hunter said.

Sophomore Brad Kledzik (3-3) allowed only one run through his first five innings in the series opener April 13, but a three-run sixth inning put the game away for the Tigers in their 6-2 victory.

Freshman catcher/designated hitter Michael Murray hit his second home run of the season and junior left fielder Brett Linnenkohl notched a pair of hits to lead the Demon Deacon offense.

One day later, however, the Deacs would avenge that loss and snap a 17-game losing streak to Clemson that extended almost five full years. Sophomore Garrett Bullock held the Tigers in check early in the ballgame, as Wake took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on sophomore first baseman Allan Dykstra’s conference-leading 14th home run of the year.

Following a Clemson run in the top of the fifth to tie the game at one, the Deacons responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning – all coming with two outs.

After the first two batters were retired, Wake Forest played some small ball, as their next five batters all reached base on singles to give the Deacs a 4-1 lead.

With Bullock starting to fade in the sixth inning, the Tigers momentarily regained the lead at 5-4, but sophomore right fielder Evan Ocheltree’s sixth home run in the bottom of the inning tied the game back at five.

As junior Eric Niesen (4-3) shut Clemson down over the next three innings, Wake set the stage for their sixth walk-off win of the year in the bottom of the ninth.

Sophomore utility man Tyler Smith walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a balk. After a failed bunt attempt, Linnenkohl took a 2-2 pitch to deep left field to easily score Smith from second on the game-winning RBI single.

“Honestly, I was just looking for something to drive,” Linnenkohl said. “As long as we shut them down and keep away that big, big inning, we always have a chance.

“It feels good because (Clemson) is a real good opponent. Our pitchers kept us in it. Anytime you’re tied up in the ninth inning, you have a chance.”

The Deacs momentum ended there, however, as Clemson took the rubber game of the series in a frustrating rain-shortened 5-4 decision.

After Wake Forest took an early 2-0 lead on a two-run single by Murray in the first, the Tigers responded with three of their own in the top of the second against redshirt junior Charlie Mellies, who made his second start of the year after missing over one year due to Tommy John surgery.

Clemson tacked two more runs on the board in the fourth inning against junior Ben Hunter before the first thunderous downpour of the afternoon forced a delay of just over one hour.

Freshman Alex Wiesner emerged from the dugout as the new Deacon pitcher when play resumed with Wake trailing 5-2.

His three shutout innings kept the Deacs in the game as their bats struggled against a tough Clemson starter.

With Wake Forest still trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth, they once again began to set the stage for some of the mystical “Hooks Magic” in the last inning.

After a hit batsman and a double put runners on second and third with nobody out, a sacrifice fly from Smith and an RBI single from redshirt junior pinch hitter Eric Williams brought the Deacs within one run with only one out.

A wild pitch to the previous day’s hero Linnenkohl put the tying run in scoring position with Linnenkohl facing a 2-2 count when, once again, the thunder boomed.

After a rain delay of an hour and a half, with no end to the storm in sight and darkness approaching the unlighted field, umpires were forced to call the game, thus giving Clemson the 5-4 victory.

“We knew we would be battling the weather all day,” Murray said.

“We really thought we could have come out and won that game, but we at least know now we have it in us to compete with anyone.”

Wake Forest returned to action April 17, when they lost an early 6-0 lead to lose to High Point, 8-7.

After defeating High Point by one run in 10 innings earlier in the season, it looked like the Deacons had a season sweep well in hand as they took their six-run lead into the sixth inning.

A run in the sixth and then a six-run seventh inning for High Point gave the Panthers a 7-6 lead. Wake tied the game in the eighth, but a High Point home run in the bottom of the inning gave the Panthers the 8-7 victory.

Dykstra hit his 15th home run and Ocheltree crushed his seventh home run of the season in the loss.

The Deacs returned home April 18 to finish their series of No. 19 Coastal Carolina with a 12-5 victory over the Chanticleers.

Hunter allowed only a pair of runs in six innings, but it was a seven-run seventh inning for Wake Forest that put the game away. Sophomore shortstop Dustin Hood’s three-run triple to center that skipped by Coastal’s diving center fielder led the Deacon attack in the win.

Ocheltree and Smith crushed their seventh and sixth home runs, respectively, in the offensive onslaught put on by Wake Forest.

Wake Forest hits the road again this week for a three-game weekend series with conference rival Boston College before heading to UNC-Charlotte April 24 and to Appalachian State April 25.