Baseball: WVU Drops Opener at Wake Forest
February 15, 2003 03:31 PM | General
February 15, 2003
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The West Virginia University baseball team (0-1) allowed five runs in the fourth inning and committed three errors on the way to a 10-2 season opening loss to No. 7 Wake Forest (2-1) on a cold and cloudy Saturday afternoon at Gene Hooks Stadium.
Wake Forest jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning after Mountaineer starter Jason DiAngelo walked the bases loaded and Adam Bourassa scored from third on a 6-4-3 double play.
With the score 2-1 in favor of the Demon Deacons, DiAngelo made an early exit after issuing his fifth walk to the first batter of the fourth inning. He was replaced by southpaw Marty Fagler, who did not fair much better as he allowed four runs on two hits and three walks to give Wake Forest a five-run fourth inning and a 7-1 lead.
The Mountaineers' first run was scored by Grant Psomas on an RBI groundout by freshman Brandon Halstead, his first collegiate RBI, in the second inning. A sacrifice fly by Kurtis Clinton plated Justin Gray in the seventh inning for WVU's second run.
DiAngelo (0-1) allowed three runs, two earned, on one hit in three innings to pick up the loss while Wake Forest starter Brian Bach (1-0) tossed seven solid innings for the victory, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out seven and walking two.
Eric Grimm and Psomas had two hits apiece for West Virginia, who out-hit the Demon Deacons seven to six.
Mountaineer pitching combined for 14 walks on the day and just four of Wake's nine total runs were earned.
The 1 p.m. contest on Sunday between WVU and Wake Forest has been canceled to to forecasts of inclement weather. The Mountaineers return to action on Friday, Feb. 21, to take on UNC-Wilmington at 3 p.m. in Wilmington, N.C.
