Box Score

WF 3, VT 2

 

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest pinch runner Steven Brooks scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Demon Deacons to a 3-2 ACC victory over Virginia Tech on Sunday at Hooks Stadium.

Despite the loss, the Hokies (15-21, 3-15 ACC) still claimed the series after winning the first two games on Friday and Saturday. It was the first ACC series win for Tech since it took game three at Georgia Tech on March 11^th of last season. It was also the first time Tech had ever won the first two games in ACC set.

Deadlocked at two apiece heading into the ninth inning, Tech got its first two batters on base and threatened to take the lead when pinch hitter Matt Blow (Richmond, Va.) laced a line drive, but Wake Forest (12-12, 6-11 ACC) shortstop Andy Goff was right there to make the grab and end the inning.

In the bottom half, Wake first baseman Allan Dykstra led off with a double and was replaced at second by Brooks, who then moved to third on a groundout by second baseman Dustin Hood. After Goff was intentionally walked and left fielder Ryan Semeniuk stepped into the box, Tech reliever Jesse Hahn (Groton, Conn.) let a pitch get away from him that bounced in the dirt and off of catcher Anthony Sosnoskie (Front Royal, Va.). As Sosnoskie scrambled to pick it up, Brooks took off from third and both dove for home plate at the same time. Unfortunately for the Hokies, Brooks' hand just beat Sosnoskie's mitt to the plate and Wake came away with the one-run victory.

Hahn got tagged with the loss to fall to 2-4 on the year, but he and fellow freshman Sean McDermott combined to limit Wake Forest to just eight hits and three walks in the contest. McDermott (Walpole, Mass.) started and turned in 5.2 innings of work before giving way to Hahn.

Phil Negus (3-2) picked up the win for Wake after entering in the ninth, but starter Ben Hunter certainly did his part by striking out 10 in seven innings of seven-hit ball.

The Deacons got out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Right fielder Willy Fox led off with a base hit and moved to second when center fielder Ben Terry got hit by a pitch. After catcher Mike Murray struck out, designated hitter Weldon Woodall drove in Fox with a single and Dykstra plated Terry with a double.

Tech first baseman Sean O'Brien (Chappaqua, N.Y) evened up the game for the Hokies in the top of the seventh when he pulled a 2-1 offering down the right-field line for a two-run homer that also scored left fielder Steve Bumbry (Cockeysville, Md.). The Hokies have now homered in four consecutive games for the first time this season.

The Hokies' next action comes on Wednesday with a 3 p.m. first pitch at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.