March 14, 2007

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Joel Ernst pitched five innings of no-hit ball but couldn't escape a six-run sixth by Ball State, as the Cardinals swept Wake Forest with a 6-5 win Wednesday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.

Ernst cruised through the first five innings, allowing just three baserunners via a walk, a hit-batter and a fielding error. However, things fell apart for the redshirt freshman from Loveland, Ohio, in the sixth inning.

Ernst walked the first two batters of the inning and then loaded the bases when the third hitter reached on a Demon Deacon fielding error. Ernst walked the next batter to bring home a run and then surrendered his first hit of the day, a two-run single to left by Matt Stoeklen.

Two batters later, Ball State's Ryan Chenoweth capped the rally with a two-run home run to right field off reliever Phil Negus. Five of the six runs were charged to Ernst, only two of which were earned. Negus gave up one unearned run in the inning.

The Cardinals' six-run rally erased the Deacons' 3-0 lead. Dustin Hood scored Ben Terry on an RBI fielder's choice to put one run on the board in the first inning.

Wake scored two more in the second. Terry's sacrifice fly brought home Cory Hindel, who had reached on an error, and Allan Dykstra came through with a run-scoring single to plate Nathan Frazier.

The Deacs rallied late with two runs in the eighth inning but couldn't bring the tying score across. Tyler Smith had a two-out double to drive in Hood, but Evan Ocheltree had to hold at third on the play. Cardinal closer Kyle Heyne ended the threat with a three-pitch strikeout.

Wake Forest was plagued by poor execution at the plate, as the Deacons left 15 runners on base. Wake put the lead-off runner on in each the sixth, seventh and eighth innings but only had the two runs in the eighth to show for it.

Smith was the only Deacon with multiple hits, finishing 3-for-5 with an RBI. Hood went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a run.

Ocheltree saw his nine-game hitting streak come to an end, going 0-for-3. Dykstra's single in the second improved his current hitting streak to eight games.

Ernst (0-1) took the loss for Wake Forest. He pitched five innings, allowing five runs, two earned, on two hits. Ernst walked four and struck out one.

Sean Souders was solid in his first appearance of the season. Souders went 1 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit.

Josh Ellis struck out the side in order in his one inning of relief. Ellis extended his season scoreless inning streak to 14 2/3.

Wake Forest returns to ACC play this weekend at Florida State. The Demon Deacons will square off against the No. 4-ranked Seminoles on Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday's game will be televised on FSN, while Saturday's game will be shown on ACC Select. All three games will be broadcast live by Wake Forest radio.