Deacs Enter Road Trip on Losing Note
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (20-8, 6-6 ACC) opened the weekend series against California on Saturday with a doubleheader. The Deacs snagged both games, securing a much-needed series victory. However, despite having their chances, they were unable to complete the clean sweep on Sunday.
How it Happened...
The Demon Deacons put up a fight in the series finale against Cal, but ultimately fell short in a 5–3 defeat that saw Wake Forest leave runners on base in key moments before the Golden Bears pulled away in the seventh inning.
With injuries on the mound, Troy Dressler has filled in quite nicely. The Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania native struck out a pair in the first inning, as he retired the side in order. Dressler added his third and fourth strikeouts in a clean second inning. He continued to excel into the fifth inning, when he retired the side with two more punchouts. However, Cal scored a run in the sixth and blew the game open with a four-run seventh inning, making it 5–0. Despite the rough finish, Dressler pitched 5.1 innings, gave up one earned run, and struck out eight batters.
Wake Forest had early scoring opportunities, but couldn't convert. The Demon Deacons had two runners in scoring position in the third and threatened again in the fourth, but nothing materialized. Junior designated hitter (DH) Boston Torres did his part when he knocked a double to center field in the second inning and added a single in the seventh.
They finally found the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh when freshman right fielder Andrew Costello lined an RBI single into right field, trimming the Cal lead to 5–1. Costello finished the afternoon 2-for-3.
In the eighth inning, sophomore relievers Zach Johnston and Rhys Bowie combined for a scoreless top half of the frame. Then sophomore catcher Matt Conte launched a two-run home run, cutting the deficit to 5–3. For the series, Conte went 5-for-11, with five RBIs.
Bowie kept the momentum going in the ninth, striking out the side to bring his afternoon total to five strikeouts. Wake Forest rallied and brought the winning run to the plate, but the Deacs couldn't complete the comeback, falling 5–3.
What's Next for Wake Forest Baseball?
The Demon Deacons will begin a nine-game road stint on March 31 against the High Point Panthers. Then, on April 1, they are off to Charlotte to battle the Clemson Tigers. To round out the week, Wake Forest heads to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for a weekend series against the Pitt Panthers.
Blake is a Sophomore at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. When not living on campus, he resides in West Virginia, where he was born and raised. He is studying communication and is invested in all things related to sports media. In his Freshman year, he completed an internship with the National Sports Media Association, and also worked as a sports editor at Wake Forest's student-run newspaper, the Old Gold & Black. Currently, Blake does play-by-play broadcasting for Wake Forest Club Ice Hockey and holds a job at Learfield, working as a studio host. In a perfect world, he would spend his free time road tripping and attending concerts all across the United States.
Follow BlakeARobison