Wake Forest's Walk-Off Home Run Drops Miami, 12-10
May 12, 2007
Winston Salem, N.C. – – Wake Forest’s Austin Jones hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth as the Demon Deacons walked off with a 12-10 win over Miami (31-20, 13-13 ACC) Saturday afternoon to even their Atlantic Coast Conference series at Hooks Stadium. Roger Tomas went 4-for-4 with three RBI while Richard O’Brien finished 2-for-4 with three RBI for the Hurricanes.
Michael Rudman (0-1) gave up two runs in 2/3 of an inning to suffer his first loss. Eric Erickson made his second start of the day. After tossing five innings and allowing one run on two hits, he left with a 3-1 lead. Wake Forest scored 11 runs on 12 hits and five walks off five UM relief pitchers in the final four innings.
Ben Terry, Allan Dykstra, Dustin Hood and Andy Goff each had two hits for the Demon Deacons (29-23, 12-14 ACC). Josh Ellis improved to 5-2 as he held the Hurricanes to one earned run on two hits in two relief innings. Brad Kledzik started for the Demon Deacons. Kledzik pitched into the seventh inning and gave up six earned runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.Wake Forest was down to its last out in the ninth inning before Jones launched an 0-2 pitch over the wall in left center, which also scored Tyler Smith for the game-winner.
Miami rallied from a 10-9 deficit in the top of the ninth. Mark Sobolewski reached on a fielder’s choice with two outs and stole second. Pinch hitter Dave DiNatale dropped a single into left center to score Sobolewski tying the game, 10-10.
Wake Forest overcame a 9-7 deficit in the bottom of the eighth. Ocheltree and Weldon Woodall opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Brett Linnenkohl’s RBI single scored Ocheltree to make it, 9-8. Wake tied the game on Terry’s RBI ground out with two outs. After Dykstra was intentionally walked, Fox hit a comebacker to the pitcher that allowed Linnenkohl to score putting the Demon Deacons ahead, 10-9.
Miami broke a 7-7 tie in the top of the eighth on Tomas’ two-run single which scored Nick Freitas and Ryan Jackson putting UM ahead, 9-7.The Hurricanes trailed 5-3 going into the top of the seventh. Yonder Alonso’s two-run home run highlighted a four-run seventh inning, which put the Hurricanes ahead, 7-5. Tomas doubled in O’Brien pulling Miami within, 5-4, before Alonso hit his 17th home run. Dennis Raben doubled in Jemile Weeks giving UM a two-run lead.
Wake Forest loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh. After a double play allowed a run to score, Dustin Hood’s RBI doubled the tied the game, 7-7.
The Demon Deacons used a four-run sixth inning to go ahead, 5-3.O’Brien’s two-run double put the Hurricanes ahead, 2-1, in the top of the second. Miami went ahead, 3-1, in the top of the fourth on O’Brien’s sacrifice fly.
Wake Forest took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Dykstra’s RBI double.
Miami and Wake Forest will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be televised on CSS. RHP Enrique Garcia (5-3, 3.12 ERA) will face Wake RHP Ben Hunter (5-5, 4.97 ERA).
