UNCW downs Wake Forest in Durham
Deacons lose early lead with wobbly bullpen
Nick Kurtz homered again but Wake Forest gave up seven runs in the middle innings to lose 8-5 to UNC Wilmington on Tuesday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Wake Forest (24-12) held an early 3-1 lead after two innings, with Kurtz’s 14th homer in the last 10 games being a two-run shot in the first inning. Cameron Gill had an RBI single in the second.
UNCW (24-13) scored four runs in the fifth, turning a two-run deficit into a two-run lead. After freshman Zach Johnston (1-1) entered and retired the first batter, he gave up two doubles, a single and a walk, and then an RBI groundout before being replaced by Blake Morningstar.
The Seahawks got another couple of hits off Morningstar, one of them driving in the fourth run of the inning, before he got a strikeout to end it. He hit a batter to start the sixth and gave up a two-run homer by Tanner Thach.
Will Ray was charged with allowing a run in the seventh, responsible for a baserunner who scored against Josh Gunther.
Wake Forest strung together some hits in the ninth and brought the potential game-tying run to the plate before Cam Nelson struck out to end the game. Jake Reinisch had a two-out, two-run single for the game’s final runs.
Kurtz and Reinisch both had two-hit games. Jack Winnay, Javar Williams and Reinisch each had a double.