Blacksburg, Virginia – Wake Forest issued an intentional walk with one out and the bases loaded. Chase Barnes responded with a strikeout. However, with just two strikes left to get out of the predicament in the bottom of the third inning, tragedy struck. Junior hit a 93 mph fastball into the swing path of Eddie Micheletti Jr., who bounced the ball over the right-field fence. With just one pitch, Wake Forest's two-run lead was turned over.
“[Burns’] When you coached that inning, you just kind of ran away from him,” coach Tom Walter said after the game. “He got a little bit off his delivery and did a little bit too much.”
Everything happened quickly after that. Cam Gill was hit by a pitch. Cam Nelson walked. He trailed starting pitcher Brett Renfroe in 3.1 innings.
David Shoemaker secured just one out with a sac fly in relief. Five runs crossed the plate, equal to the number of batters Shoemaker faced. Marek Houston led the scoring spree with an RBI single. Adam Tellier followed with a lone out. Jack Winney and Jake Reinisch scored three runs with back-to-back doubles down the left field line.
Those five points were the last points scored all night. Although it was an early comeback, Wake Forest still managed to pick up one point and open the series for the second time in the ACC season with an 8-5 win.
“We have to,” Walter said of the importance of Friday's win. “We are now 4 wins and 8 losses in league play. We have to gain ground somehow. We have to chip away at it and fight until we somehow get back to .500.” Winning the opening series here is huge.”
In that moment in the bottom of the third inning, the grand slam could very well have been the gut punch so typical of Wake Forest losses. Such disappointments are not uncommon. Rarely did Reed feel safe.
Rather, the message in the Wake Forest dugout before the 5-run sprint in the fourth inning was the same as always.
“Keep coming as always,” Nick Kurtz said. “We trust [Burns] than anyone else. He's going to do what he has to do. He grows through adversity and when things like that happen, he always gets through it and turns it around. ”
The Deacons picked up Burns.
“This is this team,” Burns said. “It’s family. [We] We had each other's backs. Just brotherly love. It's a huge confidence booster to see our bats rolling. ”
Then the pitcher returned the favor. Barnes recorded a shutdown in the fourth inning, putting Virginia Tech in the standings. He had a strikeout in the fifth inning and added two more in a scoreless sixth inning.
“Once I saw him come back and start throwing all four pitches, [I was confident]” Walter said. “[Burns] chased his changeup [the home run], he moved his breaking ball. When he's throwing strikes like that, he's really hard to hit. ”
In the seventh frame, Barnes faced signs of trouble for the first time since the third frame. With one out, a wild pitch sent the runner to second base. Walter walked slowly to the mound. He was the only one left with Burns. The Wake Forest flamethrower paid off for that decision, finishing the inning with 14 or 15 strikeouts, a career high. On Friday, Burns started his sixth consecutive game with double-digit strikeouts.
At that moment, Barnes screamed, stomping his feet and striding towards the dugout. It may have been the most emotion he showed all night, but it certainly wasn't the only time he showed it.
“We feed off of his energy on the mound,” Walter said. “When he comes off the mound with a big strikeout, there's no better feeling than that. It motivates our staff. Our hitters want to play defense behind him, and he He wants to score for him. That's a big part of his identity and our identity as a team.”
While Virginia Tech pitched its fourth pitcher of the game starting in the sixth inning, Barnes was still active. The Hokies' move to the bullpen was the driving force behind Wake Forest's comeback. The University of Tennessee transfer stayed on the mound and allowed just three hits, keeping the comeback intact in the final stages.
But there was more to it than that. Using just three pitchers compared to Virginia Tech's six in the series opener will be a huge advantage heading into the next two games.
“We didn't use Will Ray today,” Walter said. “We didn't use Cole Rowland today. We didn't use Zach Johnston today. Hayden Refffew, Ben Shenoski are available. [It] Get ready for the rest of the weekend[ing] A locked and loaded bullpen will be needed against a good offensive team. ”
The fourth-and-5 goal wasn't the only one that upset Wake Forest on Friday night, but it was certainly the most important. But one swing in the top of the third meant a little extra point for the Deacons.
Kurtz was injured in mid-March against Virginia and missed six games. He was already in the doldrums before that. However, in the loss to North Carolina, he hit two home runs. He also had an extra hit in the midweek win over UNC-Greensboro. His swing in the third inning sailed unerringly over the left-field fence, giving Wake Forest its first lead of the day. That probably means the signs Kurz's folks were hoping for this season will finally return.
“I can see the ball a lot better,” Kurtz said. “Swing at the right pitch and make a good swing. [I’m] I feel like my usual self. Hopefully that continues. ”
With this win, Wake Forest will look to win the ACC series tomorrow.Saturday's first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
