Baseball 4/29/2008 8:00:00 PM UNCGSpartans.com

Six-run second pushes Wake Forest past UNCG, 11-6

Box Score

GREENSBORO, NC Allan Dykstra sent a grand slam over the right field wall to give Wake Forest a 6-1 lead over UNCG on Tuesday evening at UNCG Baseball Stadium. After holding the Spartans to just five more through to the ninth, the Demon Deacons came away with the 11-6 victory.

Twice the Spartans (26-18, 11-7 SoCon) led off an inning with a solo home run. Sophomore Corey Overholtzer sent one out to right field and freshman Ed Jackjack slapped homer to the same side in the fourth. Jayjack's solo shot was not only his second hit of the season, but his second home run as well.

Moving into the fifth inning UNCG was down by just two, but with Wake (18-27, 8-15 ACC) continuing to put up runs the Spartans were unable to match the second inning six-run rally.

Brandon Johnson (1-2) nabbed the win for Wake Forest after coming in for relief in the fifth inning. Against his 10 batters faced, he walked one and allowed just one hit. Freshman starter Warren Slack (0-2) took the loss after giving up six runs in the second. Freshman Matt Bjorkstrom and junior Kory Judd led both sides with three strikeouts a piece.

At the plate UNCG was led by Overholtzer who was just a double short of a cycle. On the evening he was 3-for-5 with a run, an RBI, a triple, and a home run. Dykstra led the Demon Deacons after going 2-for-4 with four RBI, a pair of walks, and a home run. His home run was the only extra base hit given up by the Spartans.

Dual doubles in the opening inning gave UNCG the one-run lead over Wake Forest. Junior Pedro Leon led off with a two-bagger to the left center gap. Two bats later, Ricky Orton drove a high, fly ball over the centerfielder's head to bring in Leon. The hit was Orton's 18th double of the season.

In the top of the second, the Demon Deacons tied the game with consecutive singles and after another pair of singles and a wild pitch, they took a 2-1 lead over UNCG. Three bats later, Wake's Allan Dykstra stepped up and pounded a two out, first pitch grand slam off of the scoreboard in right field to push the Deacons into a 6-1 lead.

A lead off home run by sophomore Corey Overholtzer in the third cut the deficit down by one; the roundtrip was his fourth of the season. In the next at-bat for the Spartans, senior Tim Carrier dropped a two out single behind second base to bring senior Sean Snell in from third and make it a 6-3 ballgame.

Wake scratched another run on the board in the fourth before the Spartans came back with two of their own. Redshirt sophomore Ed Jayjack led off with a home run over the right field wall. Consecutive singles by seniors Matt Gaski, Snell, and Ricky Orton brought in another run to set the game at 7-5 in favor of the Demon Deacons heading into the fifth inning.

A pair of runs in the fifth and another scored in the seventh extended Wake Forest's lead to 10-5. A left center single in the eighth by junior Pedro Leon drove in freshman Drew Gehringer. After holding UNCG silent in the ninth, Wake Forest came away with the 11-6 victory.

UNCG will play host to UNC Asheville tomorrow starting at 6pm. On Friday, the Spartans begin a three game series with the Cougars from the College of Charleston. Game times are slated for 7pm on Friday, 2pm on Saturday, and 1pm on Sunday.