Wake Forest turned a 4-1 ninth-inning deficit into a 5-4 lead, sparked by a Gavin Sheets two-run homer and Keegan Maronpot RBI triple.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Trailing by three heading into the ninth inning, No. 12 Wake Forest plated four runs to earn a come-from-behind victory over Georgia Tech at Jim Patterson Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
The Demon Deacons (39-17) will now play Miami in an elimination game on Friday, with the winner advancing to the semifinal. The Yellow Jackets end their season with a 27-28 record.
Down 4-1 at the start of the ninth, Stuart Fairchild led off with a single and then Gavin Sheets blasted his 20th homer of the season to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Ben Breazeale followed with a single and pinch runner Nick DiPonzio advanced to third on a groundout and wild pitch.
Keegan Maronpot blasted a triple off the base of the right-field wall to tie the game at 4-4, then he came around to score on an error to give Wake Forest the lead for good.
Colin Peluse tossed a scoreless ninth inning for his first-career save. Drew Loepprich recorded a strikeout and double play in the eighth inning to earn the win and improve to 3-3, while Chris Farish also forced an inning-ending double play in the seventh.
Wake Forest struggled against Georgia Tech starter Xzavion Curry before getting to the Yellow Jacket bullpen. Curry didn't allow a hit until the sixth - an RBI double by Jake Mueller which plated Logan Harvey. Curry finished with eight strikeouts in 6.0 innings, allowing a run on one hit and one walk.
The Deacs tied the game off reliever Connor Thomas, and Micah Carpenter allowed the final unearned run to take the loss.
Breazeale was the only Deacon to tally a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4. Wade Bailey and Coleman Poje had two hits apiece for Georgia Tech.
John McCarren started for the Deacs and allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in 4.0 innings.
TWENTY BOMBS
• The two-run ninth-inning homer by Gavin Sheets was his 20th longball of the season.
• That blast gives Wake Forest just its seventh 20-homer season in program history. Sheets is now in a five-way tie for third-most homers in a season, and is the first to hit 20+ since Jamie D'Antona totaled 21 in 2003.
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
• Wake Forest dropped its first 14 games of the year when trailing heading into the ninth inning before today's victory.
• The last ninth-inning comeback for Wake Forest was April 5, 2016 at Davidson, when the Deacs turned a 6-5 deficit into a 7-6 win.
ON DECK
• The game between third-seeded Wake Forest and sixth-seeded Miami will now be played on Friday at 11 a.m. at Louisville Slugger Field.
• It will be broadcast live on RSN, which includes Fox Sports South.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Trailing by three heading into the ninth inning, No. 12 Wake Forest plated four runs to earn a come-from-behind victory over Georgia Tech at Jim Patterson Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
The Demon Deacons (39-17) will now play Miami in an elimination game on Friday, with the winner advancing to the semifinal. The Yellow Jackets end their season with a 27-28 record.
Down 4-1 at the start of the ninth, Stuart Fairchild led off with a single and then Gavin Sheets blasted his 20th homer of the season to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Ben Breazeale followed with a single and pinch runner Nick DiPonzio advanced to third on a groundout and wild pitch.
Keegan Maronpot blasted a triple off the base of the right-field wall to tie the game at 4-4, then he came around to score on an error to give Wake Forest the lead for good.
Colin Peluse tossed a scoreless ninth inning for his first-career save. Drew Loepprich recorded a strikeout and double play in the eighth inning to earn the win and improve to 3-3, while Chris Farish also forced an inning-ending double play in the seventh.
Wake Forest struggled against Georgia Tech starter Xzavion Curry before getting to the Yellow Jacket bullpen. Curry didn't allow a hit until the sixth - an RBI double by Jake Mueller which plated Logan Harvey. Curry finished with eight strikeouts in 6.0 innings, allowing a run on one hit and one walk.
The Deacs tied the game off reliever Connor Thomas, and Micah Carpenter allowed the final unearned run to take the loss.
Breazeale was the only Deacon to tally a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4. Wade Bailey and Coleman Poje had two hits apiece for Georgia Tech.
John McCarren started for the Deacs and allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in 4.0 innings.
TWENTY BOMBS
• The two-run ninth-inning homer by Gavin Sheets was his 20th longball of the season.
• That blast gives Wake Forest just its seventh 20-homer season in program history. Sheets is now in a five-way tie for third-most homers in a season, and is the first to hit 20+ since Jamie D'Antona totaled 21 in 2003.
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
• Wake Forest dropped its first 14 games of the year when trailing heading into the ninth inning before today's victory.
• The last ninth-inning comeback for Wake Forest was April 5, 2016 at Davidson, when the Deacs turned a 6-5 deficit into a 7-6 win.
ON DECK
• The game between third-seeded Wake Forest and sixth-seeded Miami will now be played on Friday at 11 a.m. at Louisville Slugger Field.
• It will be broadcast live on RSN, which includes Fox Sports South.
