May 24, 2005

JACKSONVILLE, FL (AP) - Matt Miller had four hits and drove in six runs to power Wake Forest to a 20-13 win over Maryland in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament play-in game Tuesday night at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

The win sends Wake Forest (27-28) into Wednesday's double elimination bracket of the tournament against top-seeded Georgia Tech. Maryland closes its season at 25-31.

Wake Forest and Maryland combined for the second highest run total in an ACC Tournament game, falling one run short of the record of 34 set in Georgia Tech's 23 -11 win over North Carolina State in 1985. The Deamon Deacons set a school record for most hits in an ACC tournament game with 23 while Maryland finished with 15 hits.

Wake Forest jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings, but Maryland responded with seven runs in the second inning to take a 7-6 lead. The Deacons scored five more times in the next three innings, but the Terrapins countered that with two runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth to take their final lead of the night at 13-11.

Wake Forest then scored three times in the sixth to take a 14-13 lead and put the game out of reach with a six-run seventh inning.

Miller, who went hitless in four at bats in Wake Forest's 10-1 win over Duke earlier in the day, was playing for the first time in two weeks following an ankle sprain. Ben Ingold also had four hits for the Deacons and tied a tournament record with seven at-bats. Four other Wake Forest players finished with three hits.

Maryland, which used seven pitchers in trying to slow down Wake Forest's offensive attack, was led by Will Frazier with three hits and five RBI.

Josh Ellis, who pitched 6 2/3 innings of relief, got the win despite allowing six runs and 10 hits.