It didn’t matter who Wake Forest pitched in its first game of the NCAA tournament; the Deacons weren’t going to win if they didn’t score any runs.

Wake Forest lost 1-0 to VCU on Friday night in the Greenville Regional at Clark-LeClaire Stadium.

Wake Forest (38-21) was shut out for the second time this season; its three hits matched a season low.

The Deacons will play top-seeded and host East Carolina at noon Saturday in an elimination game. The Pirates were upset by Evansville in the first game of the day.

Wake Forest had four baserunners in the first eight innings. The Deacons put the first two runners on in the ninth, Nick Kurtz working a five-pitch walk and Jack Winnay singling to right field on a 0-2 pitch.

Jake Reinisch flew out to left field for the first out; Seaver King popped out via infield fly; and Adam Tellier grounded out to end the game.

The top six of Wake’s lineup — the five players mentioned above plus leadoff hitter Marek Houston — was a combined 1-for-23 with nine strikeouts. Freshman Antonio Morales had two hits and catcher Cameron Gill earned a walk in the eighth.

The Deacons couldn’t solve Christian Gordon (8-2), a senior lefty from Agricola, Va. He pitched a season-high 7 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and a walk, striking out a season-high 13 batters.

VCU (38-21) brought in Brian Curley to finish the eighth and pitch the ninth for his third save of the season.

David Falco Jr. started and was perfect going through VCU’s lineup for the first time, mowing down seven of the first nine batters he faced via strikeout. That tied his career high, which he ironically set in a regional game against Wake Forest two seasons ago at Maryland.

Falco retired the first 12 batters he faced, adding another couple of strikeouts in the fourth. But in the fifth, VCU notched a couple of singles against him, the second of which drove in the only run of the game (after a stolen base).

A four-man bullpen effort — Will Ray, Josh Gunther, Zach Johnston and Cole Roland — combined for the last 4 1/3 on the mound for Wake Forest. Ray was the only one to give up a hit and none of them allowed a walk.