Sports > March 17, 2004

By Gerard McMahon

Old Gold and Black Reporter

After starting the season 0-3, the Deacons rode a five-game winning streak into spring break, when they played eight games in 11 days.

Before hitting the road for an seven-game road trip, the Deacs defeated Western Carolina at Gene Hooks Stadium March 4 by a score of 16-4. Junior lefty Tim Morley (1-1) pitched the first complete game of the season for Wake Forest, allowing only four early runs on seven hits.

The offense opened up a 4-0 lead for Morley in the first two innings and never looked back, cruising to the easy victory.

The Deacons next traveled to South Carolina to play a doubleheader against Winthrop March 7. After losing the first game by a final of 3-1, the team responded by winning the nightcap against Winthrop, 4-2.

Junior starting pitcher Justin Keadle (0-2) went the distance for the Deacs in game one, striking out seven, but got hardly any run support as the offense could squeak out only a late run against Winthrop.

The Deacons again received an outstanding pitching performance in game two of the doubleheader, this time by sophomore Kyle Young (2-1). Young allowed only one earned run in seven innings of work to pick up the win. Freshman Lee Land relieved Young in the eighth and shut the door on Winthrop, striking out three in his two innings.

After an RBI double by senior Brad Scioletti gave Wake Forest a 2-1 lead in the third, the Deacs tacked on their final two runs in the fourth when junior Matt Miller tripled home a run before scoring himself on a wild pitch.

Young and Lee combined to hold Winthrop to only one run over the next five innings to seize the 4-2 victory before the team headed north to take on Liberty.

Keeping their alternating win streak intact, the Deacons fell to Liberty 13-8 in a game that featured five total errors.

Junior Brian Bach (2-3) picked up the loss for Wake Forest after allowing five runs in 2 1/3 innings of work.

The Deacons again hit the road after the Liberty game, this time heading to Tennessee for the first annual Easton Challenge, where they defeated UT-Martin 5-1 in the opener.

Morley pitched seven innings of shutout ball but left the game with a tough-luck no decision after the Deacs also failed to score through seven.

Following a UT-Martin run in the bottom of the eighth, the Deacons’ bats came alive in their last at bat.

Freshman Matt Antonelli led off the inning with a single and scored two batters later on a Scioletti single. After Mathias grounded out for the second out of the inning, LeFaivre tripled to left center to score Scioletti and give Wake the lead. A two-run homer by Miller put Martin away for good.

The Deacs returned to action the next day against Missouri, losing a heartbreaker 5-4 in 12 innings.

Keadle started the game and allowed four runs in seven innings, leaving the game with the score tied at four. Bach entered the game in relief, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing only one run, which turned out to be the winning run for Missouri in the 12th inning.

Wake Forest got on the board first with two runs in the bottom of the first and regained the lead in the fifth with two more runs to take a 4-3 lead.

After Missouri tied the game in the sixth, the teams remained scoreless for five innings until Missouri scored what proved to be the winning run in the 12th on an RBI double.

Playing for a third day in a row March 13, the Deacons fell to a tough Memphis team 15-3 on a day when nothing seemed to go right.

Wake Forest took an early 3-0 lead in the first when Ingold hit his first home run of the year, a three-run shot.

Unfortunately for the Deacs,  Memphis scored 15 unanswered runs off starter Young and sophomore Kirby Wedekind. Young suffered his first loss of the year in the defeat.

In a testament to the team’s heart, the Deacons rebounded the next day and overcame a four-run deficit to beat Indiana State, 8-4, in 10 innings.

The game marked the return of junior catcher J.B. Tucker, who had missed the previous seven games with a leg injury.

After freshman starter Josh Ellis allowed four runs in the third inning, the Deacs slowly climbed back into the game.

The Deacs first got on the board in the sixth when Mathias hit his first home run of the year, a two-run shot.

The Deacons tied up the game two innings later when Miller and senior Nick Blue each hit RBI singles, putting the pressure on Land to push the game into extra innings. Land came through for the Deacs, and in the top of the tenth, so did the offense.

With the bases loaded, Antonelli laced a double into the gap in left center to give the Deacons a 6-4 lead. Wake Forest then got some insurance on a two-run single by Ingold, icing the game for the Deacs.

The Deacs’ scheduled game at Virginia Tech March 16 was cancelled due to rain, but the two teams were able to get a game in March 17 at Hooks Stadium.

The Deacs exploded against the Hokies, winning 15-2. LeFaivre hit two home runs, including his second grand slam of the season. 

Morley extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 17 by pitching five scoreless innings and picked up his second win of the season.

The Deacs will begin ACC play March 19, they will face Georgia Tech at Hooks Stadium.