Johnny Aiello hit two home runs, including a go-ahead grand slam, in a 10-3 win over Appalachian State.
SHELBY, N.C. – A seven-run fifth inning for No. 15 Wake Forest sparked a 10-3 victory over Appalachian State on Tuesday night.
The game was played at Keeter Stadium, the home of the American Legion World Series, in honor of Shelby native Jim Horn, also a member of Wake Forest's 1955 College World Series team, who passed away in 2015.
The Demon Deacons (36-16) took advantage of a pair of Johnny Aiello home runs, including a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth, to earn the win.
The Mountaineers (19-33) jumped out to a 3-0 second-inning lead behind a wild pitch which plated two runs and a Chandler Seagle RBI single.
But the Wake Forest bullpen held App State scoreless for the final 7.1 innings, allowing just three hits over that span.
Offensively, Stuart Fairchild recorded three hits while Jonathan Pryor, Jake Mueller, Gavin Sheets and Aiello totaled two apiece.
Ben Breazeale recorded the first two RBIs for the Deacs, including an RBI single in the third and run-scoring walk in the fifth.
After he walked to cut the margin to 3-2, Aiello became the ninth different Deacon to hit a grand slam over the right-field wall to take a 6-3 lead. Mueller added a two-run single in the inning to increase the lead to 8-3.
Sheets knocked an RBI single in the seventh and Aiello blasted a solo homer in the eighth to add a pair of insurance runs.
Wake Forest pitchers combined to strike out 12 batters. Drew Loepprich started and fanned three, while Chris Farish recorded two in 1.1 perfect innings.
Morgan McSweeney (4-1) earned the win with 2.0 shutout frames, while John McCarren, Carter Bach, Holden White and Parker Johnson all had at least one strikeout in scoreless efforts.
The Deacs close out the regular season Thursday-Saturday, hosting Pittsburgh in a three-game ACC series.
SHELBY, N.C. – A seven-run fifth inning for No. 15 Wake Forest sparked a 10-3 victory over Appalachian State on Tuesday night.
The game was played at Keeter Stadium, the home of the American Legion World Series, in honor of Shelby native Jim Horn, also a member of Wake Forest's 1955 College World Series team, who passed away in 2015.
The Demon Deacons (36-16) took advantage of a pair of Johnny Aiello home runs, including a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth, to earn the win.
The Mountaineers (19-33) jumped out to a 3-0 second-inning lead behind a wild pitch which plated two runs and a Chandler Seagle RBI single.
But the Wake Forest bullpen held App State scoreless for the final 7.1 innings, allowing just three hits over that span.
Offensively, Stuart Fairchild recorded three hits while Jonathan Pryor, Jake Mueller, Gavin Sheets and Aiello totaled two apiece.
Ben Breazeale recorded the first two RBIs for the Deacs, including an RBI single in the third and run-scoring walk in the fifth.
After he walked to cut the margin to 3-2, Aiello became the ninth different Deacon to hit a grand slam over the right-field wall to take a 6-3 lead. Mueller added a two-run single in the inning to increase the lead to 8-3.
Sheets knocked an RBI single in the seventh and Aiello blasted a solo homer in the eighth to add a pair of insurance runs.
Wake Forest pitchers combined to strike out 12 batters. Drew Loepprich started and fanned three, while Chris Farish recorded two in 1.1 perfect innings.
Morgan McSweeney (4-1) earned the win with 2.0 shutout frames, while John McCarren, Carter Bach, Holden White and Parker Johnson all had at least one strikeout in scoreless efforts.
The Deacs close out the regular season Thursday-Saturday, hosting Pittsburgh in a three-game ACC series.
