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Wake Forest's Sluggers Show Up in Game One Win vs Pitt

The Demon Deacons were able to beat the Panthers in game one in Pittsburgh
Justin Kontul|
Wake Forest baseball prepares to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers in game one of the weekend series
Wake Forest baseball prepares to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers in game one of the weekend series | Wake Forest Athletics

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons knew they had a challenging weekend ahead against a red-hot Pitt team. The Panthers offense can really get going in a hurry, and they were the first to strike. However, the bats woke up in the fourth inning as four different Demon Deacons hit home runs.

This is only game one of the weekend series, but it is great to start it off on the right foot. Let's go through some of the major highlights from the weekend's first game.

Lights Out Levonas

Tom Walter decided to make a change to the weekend rotation going into this one. He moved Chris Levonas, who has been phenomenal in the Saturday slot, to the Friday starter. Blake Morningstar is taking over Saturday, with Cameron Bagwell finishing things out on Sunday.

Some may think moving Levonas up may throw him off his groove. The outing started rocky with Pitt getting runners on the corners with no one out in the first. The Panthers led 2-0 after the opening three innings. However, once the offense got going, Levonas tightened up and pitched exceptionally well yet again.

In 6.1 innings pitched, he only gave up three hits, two runs, and had seven strikeouts. He also only walked two batters, which is key in a successful outing. Overall, Levonas' sharp play against a red-hot offense is a huge reason the Deacs had success. He moves to 7-1 on the season with the win.

Going Yard

The Demon Deacons backed up Levonas' solid pitching with some good offense. After a scoreless first three innings, the offense woke up in the fourth, scoring five runs to take a lead that they would never give up.

After Kade Lewis scored thanks to an Andrew Costello RBI, catcher Jimmy Keenan hit a three-run home run to take the lead. This was his second of the season. Still in the fourth, Javar Williams hit a home run for the second straight game, this one a solo shot.

To expand the advantage, Dalton Wentz hit a solo home run in the seventh inning, his eighth of the season. In the eighth inning, Luke Costello hit his 10th home run of the season to put this game out of reach for the Panthers. We have questioned the Deacs' offense at times this season, but they showed earlier this week and in this one that they can get the bats going when they have to.

What's Next?

The Demon Deacons are back in action in Pittsburgh against the Panthers tomorrow. They will look to clinch the series victory and follow up on this solid offense and defensive performance. First pitch is scheduled for 3 pm.

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Justin Kontul
JUSTIN KONTUL

Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.

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