April 10, 2007

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Tyler Smith and Brett Linnenkohl both homered to lead Wake Forest to a 14-3 rout of UNC Greensboro Tuesday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.

The Demon Deacons pounded out 14 hits and held the Spartans to just one run over the final eight innings. The win moves Wake to 19-16 overall. UNCG drops to 17-16 with the loss.

Smith hit his fourth home run of the season, a two-run blast in the second, to erase an early 2-0 deficit. Linnenkohl's home run, a solo shot, came in the fourth with the Deacons leading 4-2.

Smith finished the day 2-for-4 with career-highs of three RBIs and three runs scored. Linnenkohl went 2-for-3, while Evan Ocheltree was 3-for-5 with a career-best four runs scored.

Andy Goff extended his hitting streak to five games, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Ben Terry scored three runs and drove in two more on the day.

"It was good to get the bats going. We'd been struggling a lot mid-week getting up for those games, especially after the big ACC series," said Terry. "But it was nice finally putting it together in the eighth and getting something going. We haven't had one of those in awhile, so it was nice to sort of be able to relax and get out there in the ninth and actually feel comfortable."

The Spartans took a 2-0 lead with a pair of first-inning runs off Wake starter Joel Ernst. Ernst walked Tim Carrier to lead off the game, and then Matt Gaski followed with an infield single. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners up, Scott Schneider drove in Carrier on a groundout. Greg Feltes then followed with a two-out single to left, scoring Gaski for UNCG's second run.

Wake Forest took the lead with three runs off Greensboro starter Rob Gilliam in the second inning. Gilliam hit Terry to lead off the inning. Smith followed with his fourth home run of the season, launching a 1-0 pitch from Gilliam over the trees in deep right center.

The Deacs were not done there. After UNCG brought in reliever Clay Gibson, Ocheltree reached on an error. He moved to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a Goff groundout. Gibson then threw his second wild pitch of the inning, allowing Ocheltree to score easily from third with the go-ahead run.

Wake added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Ocheltree led off with a double to left and then moved up on Dan Rosaia's groundout. Goff brought Ocheltree home with a sacrifice fly to center. Linnenkohl capped with a rally with a solo home run to right, his fifth of the year, off reliever Matt Gibbs.

The Deacons pushed their lead to 6-2 with another run in the sixth. Ocheltree hit his second double of the game to lead off the frame. One out later, Wes McCall issued back-to-back walks to Goff and Linnenkohl, loading the bases for Dustin Hood. Hood drove in Ocheltree with a sacrifice fly to center.

UNC Greensboro cut the Wake lead to 6-3 with a run off Brad Kledzik in the seventh. Sean Snell reached on a one-out walk and scored two batters later on Adam Deleo's single.

Wake Forest got the run back in the bottom of the frame, scoring twice off reliever Greg Martin. Martin walked Terry and Smith to start the inning, and both runners eventually would score. After each moved up on Ocheltree's groundout, Rosaia hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Terry. Goff then followed with a single up the middle to score Smith and give Wake an 8-3 lead.

The Demon Deacons blew the game wide open, batting around to score six more runs in the eighth. The first seven hitters reached base before UNCG recorded an out. Dykstra led off with a walk, and Cory Hindel followed with a single. Terry brought home both runners with a double to left center. Smith made it back-to-back doubles, driving in Terry. Ocheltree then ripped a triple to centerfield to plate Smith.

After Ocheltree scored on a wild pitch, Rosaia kept the rally alive with a single to center. Pinch runner Keith Mauney moved up on a balk and then scored on Goff's single. Brandon Harvey came on for the Spartans and struck out the next three Deacon hitters.

Kirby Wedekind (1-0) picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Wedekind came on to start the fifth in relief of Ernst. The senior righthander allowed one hit and a walk to earn his first win since April 22, 2003.

Ernst got a no-decision with four innings of work. The redshirt freshman gave up two runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out a career-high five batters. UNC Greensboro put two runners on in the second and loaded the bases in the fourth, but Ernst pitched himself out of the jams with no runs coming across.

Brad Kledzik pitched one inning, allowing one run on one hit with a walk and a strikeout. Eric Niesen pitched a scoreless eighth, striking out two batters, while Alex Wiesner worked a 1-2-3 ninth.

Gibson (2-1) took the loss in relief. Gibson pitched two-plus innings, surrendering two runs, one earned, on two hits and a walk.

"That's what you look for in a mid-week game," said Goff. "Not to take anything away from UNCG--they had a whole staff day today. It was good for us to get the bats going. We have another tough mid-week game tomorrow and then a big series this weekend against Clemson."

Wake Forest travels to Conway, S.C., tomorrow for a 6 p.m. matchup with No. 20-ranked Coastal Carolina. RHP Ben Hunter (3-5, 6.49) will make the first start of his Wake Forest career. The Chanticleers will start RHP Nick McCally (2-0, 2.37). The Demon Deacons will return home next weekend to host No. 14 Clemson.