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DURHAM, N.C. (theACC.com) – In what was in essence an Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship quarterfinal game, top-seeded Wake Forest made sure it took care of business.
Brock Wilken, Bennett Lee and Danny Corona hit home runs to key a 12-hit Demon Deacon attack, and two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year Rhett Lowder worked seven solid innings to secure a 10-2 win over 12th-seeded Pitt in the opening game of Thursday’s session at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The Demon Deacons (46-9) assured themselves of a spot in Saturday’s 1 p.m. semifinal game, where they will face the Pool D winner – No. 4 Miami or No. 9 NC State. Wake Forest has a 7 p.m. game against No. 8 seed Notre Dame set for Friday night, but that outcome will have no bearing on the Deacons’ tournament status.
Wake became the first NCAA Division I team to reach 46 wins, and the Demon Deacons’ .836 winning percentage also leads the nation. Wake is also the first No. 1 seed to reach the semifinals of the ACC Baseball Championship since the current format was adopted in 2017.
Wilken led off the third inning with his 26th home run of the season and the 66th of his career – three behind the ACC all-time record of 69 shared by Anthony Maisano (Georgia Tech/Wake Forest, 1986-90) and Florida State’s J.D, Drew (1995-97).
Lee added a two-run homer in the third inning as Wake Forest built a 6-1 lead, and Corona delivered another two-run shot as the Deacons scored their final three runs in the top of the ninth.
Wilken’s 26 home runs this season are five shy of the ACC single-season mark of 31 set by Drew in 1997.
Pitt (24-31) nicked Lowder for an early run on first-inning doubles by Sky Duff and Noah Martinez. But the junior righthander allowed only one more hit – a second-inning double by Justin Acal before departing after seven innings. Lowder (13-0) walked two batters and stuck out six while throwing 105 pitches, the first-time his pitch count has topped the century mark this season.
Dom Popa hit his second home run of the tournament and the season off Wake reliever Michael Massey to account for Pitt’s second run.
Starter Logan Evans (5-3) took the loss for the Panthers after pitching three innings and yielding six runs on seven hits.