WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Andrew Greckel's two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning propelled App State's baseball team to its first win over No. 24 Wake Forest since 2015. The Mountaineers scored three runs in the ninth to turn a 9-8 deficit into an eventual 11-9 victory at David F. Couch Ballpark.
App State (2-5) trailed 9-8 entering the ninth inning after an RBI single from Wake Forest's Bobby Seymour. Junior
Tyler Leek began the rally after beating out a throw at first with an infield single on an 0-2 pitch. Senior
Robbie Young then dropped down a bunt to move Leek to second. After Leek advanced to third on a wild pitch, sophomore
Phillip Cole hit a ground ball to first base, scoring a head-first sliding Leek to tie the game at 9-9.
With Cole at first base, Greckel crushed a 1-1 pitch over the wall in center field, giving the Mountaineers a two-run advantage. Senior
Jack Hartman closed out the ninth for App State on the mound, punching out three straight batters after allowing the first two Demon Deacons to reach.
"I'm extremely proud of our team," head coach
Kermit Smith said. "After losing a 15-inning heartbreaker on Sunday to scoring three tonight in the ninth and Jack finishing it up in the rain to win, that showed a ton of resiliency. We had some guys make some big pitches, get some big hits and make some big plays. This was a total team win. I look forward to getting back out there tomorrow at practice with these guys."
The Mountaineers struck first in Wednesday's game after drawing three walks in the first inning. Freshman
Peyton Idol scored his first of three runs in the first to give App State a 1-0 advantage.
The Demon Deacons (3-5) retook a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first, but their lead lasted until just the third inning when Idol crossed home plate for the second time, knotting the game at 2-2. Idol singled down the third-base line to open the inning, and sophomore
Luke Drumheller brought him home with a sacrifice fly.
Wake Forest's Adam Cecere cleared the bases with a grand slam in the fourth inning to give the Deacons a 6-2 lead. The Mountaineers responded with their own productive inning, scoring six runs in the top of the fifth to retake an 8-6 lead. Drumheller knocked in the first two runs with a two-run double to left field. Redshirt-Senior
Luke Allison capped off App State's scoring barrage with a ground-rule double to left center, plating Cole from second.
App State used five pitchers in Wednesday's victory – starter
Cole Hooper,
Noah Hall,
Cy Smith,
Andrew Papp and Hartman. Hartman closed out the final 1.2 innings for the Mountaineers, striking out four Demon Deacons. The Mountaineers tallied 12 strikeouts, which is the fifth time in seven games App State's pitching staff has recorded 10 or more punch outs in a game.
Idol and Allison both finished with two-hit performances, while Drumheller and Greckel tied with a team-high three RBIs apiece. Idol paced Appalachian with three runs scored.
Appalachian's most recent win over Wake Forest came in 2015 when the Mountaineers defeated the Demon Deacons 10-1 in Winston-Salem. Former Mountaineer and current San Francisco Giant, Jaylin Davis, blasted two home runs in the win.
The Mountaineers return to action Friday with a weekend series at UNCG. First pitch for Friday's game is set for 4 p.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina.
