Wake Forest Ties the Series With Stellar Defense

The Demon Deacons hold the Hurricanes to just a single run

Apr. 12, 2026 at 5:07pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball game in motion, with players and the field broken down into overlapping, angular shapes and planes in a vibrant color palette.Wake Forest's defensive lockdown sets the stage for a winner-take-all finale in the series.Wake Forest Today

In a slow Saturday match, Wake Forest evens the series on Saturday, heading into Sunday's rubber match. Following a lackluster batting performance the previous day, Wake Forest needed to find a rhythm at bat. The game got off to a slow start, but the Demon Deacons were able to take the lead in the later innings thanks to some clutch hitting from Kade Lewis and Matt Conte. Defensively, Wake Forest was dominant, with starting pitcher Troy Dressler throwing six scoreless innings and the bullpen holding the Hurricanes to just one run.

Why it matters

This game was crucial for Wake Forest to even the series and set up a winner-take-all matchup on Sunday. The Demon Deacons' strong defensive performance, especially from their pitching staff, will be key if they want to advance in the postseason.

The details

Wake Forest's offense struggled early, with the first three batters going down in order in the first three innings. But the Demon Deacons were able to break through in the fourth, with Javar Williams scoring on a single by Kade Lewis. Lewis added another RBI single in the sixth, and Matt Conte drove in an insurance run in the eighth. On the mound, Troy Dressler was dominant, allowing just two hits and no runs in six innings of work. The Wake Forest bullpen held the Hurricanes to one run over the final three innings to secure the victory.

  • The game was played on Saturday, April 12, 2026.
  • The series is tied 1-1 heading into the rubber match on Sunday, April 13, 2026 at 1 PM.

The players

Javar Williams

The leadoff hitter for Wake Forest who scored the team's first run.

Kade Lewis

The Demon Deacons' cleanup hitter who drove in two runs with timely singles.

Troy Dressler

The starting pitcher for Wake Forest who threw six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits.

Evan Jones

The relief pitcher who retired Troy Dressler in the seventh inning and allowed one run over nearly three innings of work.

Will Ray

The Demon Deacons' closer who recorded the final out of the game.

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What they’re saying

“Evened things up 😤”

— Wake Forest Baseball

What’s next

The series will be settled at 1 PM on Sunday. Tune in to see if the Demon Deacons can stay consistent defensively and spark a new flame batting.

The takeaway

Wake Forest's dominant pitching and timely hitting were the keys to evening the series. If the Demon Deacons can replicate this formula in the rubber match, they will have a strong chance of advancing in the postseason.