BOX SCORE (PDF)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest took advantage of a pair of UNCG errors in the bottom of the ninth and received a two-run walkoff single to rally past the Spartans 5-4 in a nonconference game Tuesday night at the Wake Forest Baseball Park.
The Blue and Gold falls to 15-14 overall while the Demon Deacons improve their record to 17-14.
Senior infielder Lloyd Enzor had a solid night at the dish, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored while freshman RHP Ryan Clark was tagged with a tough-luck loss to drop his record to 2-1. Sophomore RHP Tyler Frazier was in line for the win before Wake Forest's late rally as he tossed two innings – allowing just one walk and striking out four batters.
After the Spartans went quietly in the top of the first, James ran into some trouble in the bottom of the inning. Evan Stephens reached on a hit up the middle before Conor Keniry walked. However, James was able to induce two flyouts and record a strikeout to escape unscathed.
Enzor provided James with some early run support as with runners on first and second, he crushed a ball to deep right center and it fell over the wall for his third home run of the season.
The Demon Deacons broke through in the bottom of the third, tying the game at three thanks to a two-run double by Kevin Conway and an error charged to Enzor. Wake Forest threatened again in the fourth, but sophomore LHP Caleb Henley was able to get a 6-4-3 double play to terminate the inning.
As the game moved to the fifth inning, UNCG was able to string together some hits as senior outfielder Christian Wolfe and senior infielder Trevor Edwards reached first and second with one away. However, junior catcher Cambric Moye struck out and sophomore outfielder Eric Kalbfleisch grounded into a fielder's choice for the final two outs.
After Wolfe and redshirt sophomore infielder Ray Crawford recorded a walk and a single to right field with one out in the top of the seventh, Edwards hit a ball deep enough to center to score Wolfe and put the Blue and Gold in front again 4-3.
The Spartans held the Demon Deacons off the board and received two huge innings from junior Dylan Hathcock to keep their 4-3 lead headed to the bottom of the ninth.
Clark got Mark Rhine to fly out to left for the first out, but Moye could not quite hang on to a foul ball behind the plate and Evan Stephens took advantage of the error. He singled and went to second on a throwing error by junior infielder Sean Guite. Keniry walked before Clark hit Pat Blair to load the bases. Jack Carey would end the game in his at bat with a sharp single to left center to score the winning runs.
UNCG returns to action this weekend in a Southern Conference series at College of Charleston. The Spartans and Cougars will begin the set Friday, April 5 with a 6 p.m. first pitch.
- UNCG -
