WINSTOM-SALEM, NC – The LMU baseball team fell to No. 16 Wake Forerst on Friday afternoon 12-2 in Winston-Salem, NC.
Jaxson Wall was one of the few consistent bright spots offensively, reaching base twice on the night with singles in the fifth and eighth innings, keeping his bat among the team's most reliable. In that eighth frame, Wall's effort paid dividends; he came around to score after his leadoff single when
Zach Wadas lined a two-run double down the right field line to plate Wall and
Zion Williams, accounting for LMU's only two runs.
On the mound, Zach Bender delivered what may have been his most effective outing of the season in relief. Entering in the sixth, Bender worked through traffic and stranded runners in consecutive innings before surrendering a five-run eighth that was aided by a pair of wild pitches. Through his first two frames, Bender was sharp, inducing weak contact and limiting damage against a potent Wake Forest lineup.
The Demon Deacons had done their damage early. Jackson Miller's grand slam in the first inning opened a 5-0 hole, and Wake Forest added two more in the fourth on a Dalton Wentz single before the big eighth put the game out of reach.
Jake Geis absorbed the loss, allowing seven runs through five innings before giving way to the bullpen.
LMU finished with five hits and left seven on base.
The Lions will continue their road trip with two games tomorrow. The first game is scheduled for 9:00 AM (PT) against Davidson. The Lions will face the Demon Deacons again immediately following the early game.
