ELON, N.C. – Elon and Wake Forest combined for 37 runs on 40 hits, the highest-scoring game ever in the 91-game series between the two teams, but it was the Demon Deacons who came away with the 25-12 victory over the Phoenix from Latham Park on Tuesday, March 10.
The most runs the teams had ever combined for prior to Tuesday night was 31 in a 16-15 Elon victory on May 13, 2008. The two also combined to hit nine home runs, including a grand slam for each team.
After Wake Forest (12-5) scored an unearned run in the top of the first, Elon (7-6) knotted the game up when Casey Jones drilled his first home run of the year in the bottom half.
With the Demon Deacons up 2-1 after two, Wake Forest erupted for seven runs in the third, all on homers.
Trailing 10-1 heading to the last of the fourth, Elon chipped away with three runs. James Venuto and Nick Zammarelli both had RBI in the frame and the third Phoenix marker scored on a wild pitch.
Elon added four in the last of the fifth on a Jones double and Zammarelli three-run homer to cut its deficit to 13-8 only to see Wake put up another seven-spot in the sixth, including a Justin Yurchak grand slam. The maroon and gold got another four in the last of the sixth when Chris King hit the third grand slam of his career.
Wake finished off the scoring in the seventh with five more runs.
Elon’s 16 hits was its third-highest total of the year. Jones and Venuto both tallied three-hit nights while Kory Shumate and King added two hits each. Both King and Zammarelli drove home four. Eight of the 16 hits went for extra bases. Jones, who scored four runs, ran his hitting streak is now at a season-high seven games and he raised his average to .438.
Jake Stalzer (1-2) took the loss after being charged with seven runs (six earned) on six hits in just 2.1 innings of work.
The win went to Wake’s Paul Kirkpatrick (2-0) who surrendered four runs on six hits in a predetermined four innings.
The same two teams are scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday night, March 11, in Winston-Salem, N.C., at Wake Forest Baseball Park.