Wake Forest gets big 8th inning for win against Siena

Wake Forest broke open a tie game in the eighth inning to beat Siena 11-7 on Friday night at David F. Couch Ballpark.

The Deacons (4-1) notched a series-opening win because of RBI from Kade Lewis, Jimmy Keenan, Blake Schaaf and JD Stein in their last at-bat. Lewis drove in a run with a single; Keenan walked with the bases loaded; and Schaaf and Stein both were hit by pitches to force across runs.

Troy Dressler (1-0) picked up the win by pitching the final two innings. He entered to start the eighth and the first two batters singled against him, but he got a flyout and two strikeouts to keep the game tied at 7-7. Dressler retired all three Saints he faced in the ninth.

Wake Forest going station-to-station for runs in the eighth was a break from how it scored most of its earlier runs. Dalton Wentz and Luke Costello hit solo home runs in the first inning.

Wentz homered again in the third, a two-run shot after Javar Williams led off the inning with a double. Matt Conte hit a two-run blast later in the third.

That tied the game at 6-6. Blake Morningstar gave up a six-spot to Siena (0-4) in the third inning, in which he walked the first three batters, allowed an RBI single, and then gave up a grand slam to Jake Sparks. Scott Lynch later hit a solo homer in the inning.

Rhys Bowie entered on the mound in the fifth and gave up a solo homer to the first batter he faced. He struck out six across three innings, that being the only run against him and working out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth.

Wake Forest tied the game in the bottom of the sixth when Boston Torres scored on a groundout by Wentz. Torres led off the inning with a single; Williams also had a bunt single before Wentz’s groundout.

“It was also good to see Boston Torres and Luke Costello back in the lineup,” coach Tom Walter said via news release. “We’re starting to pull some pieces together and we’re excited for where things can go from here.”