Baseball's Rally Falls Short at Wake Forest

Friday, April 3

Winston-Salem, N.C.

6:00 PM

Boston College

12-15, 4-8

Wake Forest

20-12, 7-6

Boston College

Wake Forest

Sophomore Michael Strem hit his first career home run.

Baseball's Rally Falls Short at Wake Forest

April 03, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

April 3, 2015

Box Score | Postgame Interviews

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Wake Forest 4, Boston College 3
Records: Boston College (12-15, 4-8 ACC), Wake Forest (20-12, 7-6 ACC)
Location: Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Series: Wake Forest leads the series, 1-0
Weather: 79 degrees, cloudy, 14-26 mph winds
Attendance: 1,024 (season high)
Time of Game: 2:58

BC Starting Lineup:

Starting Pitcher: RHP Jeff Burke

Wake Forest Starting Lineup:

Jonathan Pryor -- LF
Joey Rodriguez --CF
Nate Mondou -- 2B
Will Craig -- DH
Justin Yurchak -- 3B
Stuart Fairchild -- RF
Gavin Sheets -- 1B
Nick Bisplinghoff -- C
Zach Piazza -- SS

Starting Pitcher: RHP Matt Pirro

BC HIGHLIGHTS

Sophomore Nick Sciortino went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double off the wall. He extended his career-long hit streak to seven games and has tallied a double in six of the last seven games.
Although junior LHP Jesse Adams shouldered the loss, he retired 16 of the 19 batters he faced, including eight in a row between the sixth and eighth innings. He struck out six, walked just one and allowed two hits and two runs in a career-long 5.1-inning relief appearance.
Sophomore Michael Strem hit his first career home run in the seventh over the left-field fence. He has now reached base safely in the last 11 games.
With his 2-for-4 night, junior Chris Shaw extended his hit streak to 10 games.
Junior Joe Cronin was 1-for-4 and was hit by a pitch, extending his on-base streak to 14 games.

KEY PLAYS

Down three, the Eagles scored a run in the sixth, seventh and eighth to tie the game. After a lead-off double to start the ninth, sophomore RHP Justin Dunn relieved Adams. On a sacrifice bunt attempt, he could not get the lead runner and with one out, Joey Rodriguez laced one to right center to give Wake Forest the walk-off win.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Deacons took an early 2-0 lead in the first. Rodriguez walked, stole second and moved to third on a groundout. With two outs, Will Craig chopped one pasted the third baseman and shortstop to score Rodriguez for the first run of the game. Craig came home on a ground-rule double by Stuart Fairchild before junior right-handed starter Jeff Burke ended the inning with a strikeout looking.
Wake took a three-run lead as Nate Mondou lead off the fifth with a home run over the right-field wall off of Adams. Adams retired the next three Deacons to end the inning.
BC scored its first run in the sixth off reliever RHP John McCarren. Freshman Donovan Casey led off with a single up the middle and moved to second on a groundout by junior Joe Cronin. With two down, Sciortino drove him in with a base hit to left center, making it a two-run game.
The Eagles pulled within one in the seventh off the bat of Strem. With two down, he launched his first homer over the left-field wall to make it a 3-2 game.
BC tied the game in the eighth with RHP Parker Dunshee on the mound. Cronin singled, advanced to second on a throwing error by shortstop Zach Piazza and Sciortino moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt. With two down and runners at the corners, senior Blake Butera singled to score Cronin, tying the game.
After Adams surrendered a lead-off double to right to Nick Bisplinghoff, Dunn entered the game. Pinch hitter Drew Freedman laid down a bunt that Dunn fielded and fired to third. His throw was just late, putting runners at the corners with no outs. The righty got the first out swinging but Rodriguez nailed one to right center to plate the game-winning run.

OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Dunshee (5-0): 2.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Losing Pitcher: Adams (1-2): 5.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

TEAM LEADERS
Boston College
Hits: 2, Shaw (2-for-4, 2B), Sciortino (2-for-4, 2B)
Runs: 1, Strem, Casey, Cronin
RBIs: 1, Butera, Strem, Sciortino
Strikeouts: 6, Adams

Wake Forest
Hits: 2, Rodriguez (2-for-4), Fairchild (2-for-4, 2B), Bisplinghoff (2-for-3, 2B)
Runs: 1, Rodriguez, Mondou, Craig, Bisplinghoff
RBIs: 1, Rodriguez, Mondou, Craig, Fairchild
Stolen Bases: Rodriguez
Strikeouts: 4, Dunshee

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

The Eagles stranded 14 runners on base, including three in the fifth. It is the eighth time BC has left at least 10 runners on base this season.
Shaw has tallied at least one hit in the last 10 games, racking up 16 hits, including five doubles and four home runs, 11 runs and 15 RBIs. He has also been walked seven times.
Casey has 20 hits in the last 15 games.
The Demon Deacons have now won eight straight in Winston-Salem in the series meetings between the ACC Atlantic Division foes and taken six of the last seven games.

UP NEXT
The Eagles and Demon Deacons return for a 4 p.m. game on Saturday at Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park.