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  • No. 16 Wake Forest Drops Series Finale to Notre Dame Fighting Irish

No. 16 Wake Forest Drops Series Finale to Notre Dame Fighting Irish

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Baseball

No. 16 Wake Forest fell to Notre Dame 10-0 on Sunday afternoon in the series finale at David F. Couch Ballpark.

The Deacs (3-4, 1-2 ACC) sprinkled four hits across nine innings of play, led by second baseman Michael Turconi's pair of base knocks. Wake Forest also had five additional baserunners thanks to a quartet of walks and one hit-by-pitch.

A trio of Demon Deacon relievers — Reese Robinson, Reed Mascolo and JD Everett, combined to give up no earned runs across the final four innings. The trio struck out five Irish batters during those frames, part of 14 total Ks racked up by the Wake Forest pitching staff.

The Fighting Irish (2-1, 2-1 ACC) struck early, scoring six of the team's 10 runs in the first three innings. 

How It Happened 

  • The Fighting Irish got off to an early lead for the third consecutive game in the series, plating three runs in the top of the first inning. 

  • Shane Smith pitched a three up, three down second inning to hold the Irish's advantage to 3-0 with Shane Muntz, Brock Wilken and Michael Ludowig due up. 

  • Ludowig stole his first base of the season to move into scoring position after being walked with two outs. The Deacs were unable to capitalize on the threat as the game remained 3-0 heading into the top of the third. 

  • Rhett Lowder was the first reliever out of the bullpen the next top half of the inning. The Irish added three more runs to their lead (6-0) after a single with one out cleared the bases. Lowder forced a ground out to end the top half of the third. 

  • Michael Turconi knocked in Wake Forest's first hit of the game in the bottom half of the inning. 

  • Lowder pitched a three up, three down frame to keep Notre Dame off the scoreboard in the following top half. 

  • The Fighting Irish picked up a pair of runs in the fifth to add to their lead (8-0). 

  • Reese Robinson saw action for the first time since the 2019 season in the top of the sixth inning. The Dayton, Ohio native struck out two batters, while Fighting Irish added two unearned runs to add to their lead (10-0). 

  • Reed Mascolo relieved Robinson of the pitching duties at the beginning of the seventh and sat down the side in order. 

  • Carmine Petosa came to the plate as a pinch hitter and was hit by a pitch in his first collegiate appearance in the bottom of the seventh. 

  • Turconi knocked in his second base hit of the game with one out in the eighth. Notre Dame ended the inning after inducing a fielder's choice and a strike out. 

  • JD Everett made his Wake Forest debut on the mound in the top of ninth, holding Notre Dame scoreless while striking out one batter.

  • Wake Forest placed a runner on in the bottom of the ninth on a Brock Wilken walk. A double play would end the threat, and the game, as the Deacs fell, 10-0. 

In the Spotlight
Michael Turconi produced two of Wake Forest's four hits in the game. In the bottom of the third, he smacked the Deacs' first base hit of the game. The Beaver Falls, Pa. native has now reached safely in 17 straight games and holds a six-game hit streak (last six contests of this season).

Over the course of the ACC-opening series with the Fighting Irish, Turconi tallied five hits in 13 at-bats, good for a .385  batting average over the weekend.

Words from Walter 
"That first inning, there were a couple plays we needed to make, and didn't, which leads to a three spot. We kind of played from behind all weekend. Having to pull Shane Smith from the game when we did was another dagger. But in retrospect, probably could have gone to Brennen Oxford there. (He's) just a little more used to pitching out of the bullpen than Rhett (Lowder), and probably would have gotten ready a little quicker. I thought Rhett settled down and ended up throwing the ball okay on short rest.

Just couldn't put anything together offensively. Same thing in the first inning, we got the leadoff hitter on and didn't let the game come to us. Right now, we're pressing and trying to do a little too much. So, we've got a couple days here to right the ship before Western Carolina on Wednesday, and then Boston College coming in here next weekend. We've got to get ready."

On Deck
The Deacs continue their 11-game homestand with a non-conference matchup with Western Carolina on March 3 at 6:00 p.m. Wake Forest jumps right back into ACC action with a home series against Boston College on March 5-7.