Friday
Just two days after crushing the Clemson Tigers in Charlotte, Wake Forest Baseball commenced their weekend series against the Pittsburgh Panthers in yet another ACC battle. With the offense really starting to pick things up and sophomore Chris Levonas getting promoted as the Friday starter, a series-opening victory was destined for the Deacs.
Despite falling behind early, Wake Forest flexed their muscles in the fourth inning when homers from both Jimmy Keenan and Javar Williams gave the Deacs a 5-2 lead. Keenan, who has struggled for the better part of the year, came through in tremendous fashion with a towering 3-run shot over the massive wall in left field.
From there on out, it was a slugfest for the scorching hot Demon Deacons. After Dalton Wentz launched his 8th long ball of the year in the seventh, sophomore Luke Costello clobbered a 468-foot dagger to put the Deacs up 6 runs in the eighth.
“Offensively, we did just enough,” Coach Tom Walter said following Friday’s game. “We got the long ball today and had some good at-bats when we needed them.”
On the pitching side, Levonas did his job to the best of his ability. Even without having his A+ stuff throughout the entirety of his outing, he limited the Panthers to just two runs while striking out seven. Freshman Evan Jones would later slam the door with two plus innings of no-hit ball.
“That’s a really good win,” Walter said. “It’s hard to win on Friday night in this league, and really hard to win Friday night on the road against a really good team.”
Saturday
If Friday’s win was any indicator of what is yet to come for the Deacs, then Saturday’s beatdown showcased a new world of potential. While Blake Morningstar’s return to the mound was the initial storyline of game two, the Wake Forest offense stole the show yet again.
After taking an early lead courtesy of another Luke Costello bomb, a scoring parade took place in Pittsburgh. Aside from a scoreless second inning, the Deacs torched Pitt starting pitcher Vincent Spizzoucco, tallying 8 runs against the right-hander.
Led by the trio of Costello, Dalton Wentz, and Javar Williams, Wake Forest absolutely dominated the Panthers. Scoring a season-high 22 runs, the Demon Deacons run-ruled their ACC foe with ease.
The pitching too fared well against the Panthers’ offense. While the eight earned runs allowed may look deceiving, both Morningstar and freshman Troy Dressler showcased plus stuff. Perhaps it wasn’t the most controlled effort, but certainly encouraging to say the least.
“It’s just a great team win,” Walter said. “It was good to see Blake Morningstar out there. I was happy with the way we played today.”
Sunday
An unfortunately common trend that has hurt the Demon Deacons all season has been their inability to win on Sunday. Losing all three of their Sunday ACC matchups this year, a list that includes Florida State, Virginia, and Cal, Wake Forest sought to bring the sweep home against Pitt in their fourth attempt.
Unlike the first two games of the series, the Pitt pitching staff held the Wake Forest bats under control. Drew Lafferty of the Panthers held his own for six and two-thirds innings, racking up four strikeouts while allowing just two earned runs against the red hot Deacs.
On the other end, Cam Bagwell for Wake Forest shined on Sunday. The sophomore transfer logged six innings and allowed just one run, lowering his season ERA to a minuscule 2.89. With left-hander Matthew Dallas now out for the season, Bagwell has excelled in taking over his duties as the Sunday starter.
For the majority of this game, the Deacs remained in control. Holding onto a 3-2 lead heading into the ninth, a much-needed series sweep looked to be quite possible. However, several mental mistakes from closer Marcelo Harsh, and some well-executed small ball from the Panthers, handed Pitt a 4-3 victory.
It was undoubtedly a tough way to end the weekend for Wake Forest, but there are still some positive takeaways as they advance deeper into conference play. Next week will serve as one of the more challenging stretches for the Deacs, as a Tuesday matchup against No. 11 Coastal Carolina, followed by a weekend series against Miami in Coral Gables, could dictate this team’s destiny.
