One Pitch, One Too Many: Wake Forest Falls 6–5 in Morgantown Opener
That hurt. If the Wake Forest Demon Deacons want to make it to next weekend's Super Regional, it's still possible, but they will now have to play out of the losers' bracket in the Morgantown Regional.
On Friday afternoon, in the first game of the Regional, No. 2-seed Wake faced the No. 3-seed Kentucky Wildcats. What started out looking like the Deacs were in control changed gears as soon as Tom Walter went to the bullpen.
Even after falling behind, Wake was able to tie it 5-5 in the bottom of the 8th. Then came the brutal top of the 9th inning. With two outs and a runner on third base, reliever Will Ray threw a wild pitch that got away from catcher Matt Conte, allowing Jayce Tharnish to score the go-ahead run. The Deacs were not able to get a run across the plate in the bottom of the frame, giving the Wildcats the win.
Wake Forest RHP Chris Levonas got the start. And he did what was needed, but only lasted five innings once his pitch count went above 90. He only allowed one run on two hits. He also had six strikeouts and only gave up one walk. Thanks to an RBI 1st inning single by Kade Lewis and a Matt Conte 4th inning two-run homer, Levonas left the game with the Deacs up 3-1.
Rhys Bowie took the mound to start the 6th inning, and he immediately changed the course of the game. Lead-off batter Tyler Bell was hit by pitch. Luke Lawrence walked on a full count, followed by another walk by Hudson Brown. This gave the Bat Cats bases loaded and no outs. Bowie would record his first out with a strikeout before giving up a 2-run RBI with a double down the left field line by Braxton VanCleave. The game was now tied at 3-3. Another wild pitch would score Brown, and VanCleave was brought home on a sac fly. Kentucky was now up 5-3 in the middle of the 6th.
Thanks to a solo home run in the bottom of the 6th by Andrew Costello and another solo home run in the bottom of the 8th by Dalton Wentz, Wake Forest entered the 9th inning tied at 5-5. Will Ray took the mound for the Deacs and struck out the leadoff batter. Tharnish came to the plate and singled with a hit to right field. He would then steal second and then steal third, putting him in prime position when the wild pitch was thrown.
The Deacs had an opportunity to even the score in the bottom of the 9th, but could not do so, which ultimately cost them the game.
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) May 29, 2026
What's Next for Wake Forest Baseball
The Deacs fall to the losers' bracket of the Morgantown Regional. They will play an elimination game on Saturday, May 30, at 12 pm ET against the loser of the West Virginia/Binghamton game. It can be seen on the ESPN networks, most likely ESPN+.
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Barry is the managing editor/publisher of Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI sites. He oversees a team of 12+ writers and photographers covering all sports at Wake Forest. He writes on football, basketball (men’s and women’s), baseball, men’s tennis, and other sports as needed. His weekly articles include ACC Power Rankings and Poll Watching during the football, basketball, and baseball seasons. Barry is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He has covered the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, the 2023 College Football National Championship, the 2023 College World Series, the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tennis National Championship, ACC Kickoff, and ACC Tipoff. He is an avid sports fan and traveler, and he loves any opportunity to see a sporting event in person. He has been to 18 of the 30 MLB ballparks, experienced game day at 25 college football stadiums, seen 21 NFL stadiums, and been to 16 bowl games.