Demon Deacons Pounce on Catamounts in 14-2 Run-Rule Win
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (34-17, 14-13 ACC) easily took care of business on Saturday at the Couch in the second game of the series with the Western Carolina Catamounts (32-19, 12-6 SoCon) with a 14-2 run-rule win.
The bats were hot early in the game, with the Deacs scoring six runs on four hits in the bottom of the first inning. They continued the trend, scoring at least two runs in each of the next three innings.
The win was the sixth-straight win for Wake Forest.
First Inning Dominance
In the first inning, lead-off batter Javar Williams, after falling behind 0-2, worked a walk. Right fielder Luke Costello, who went 2-2 on the day, followed that with a base hit, followed by another base hit by first baseman Kade Lewis. With the bases loaded, third baseman Dalton Waltz walked, scoring the first run for the Deacs. Designated hitter Matt Conte brought in another run, leaving the bases loaded and no outs. An RBI groundout, then a sacrifice fly, scored two more runs before second baseman Blake Schaaf hit his 5th home run of the season with a rocket over the left field wall. It was 6-0 by the end of the first inning.
Feeling lucky 🍀 pic.twitter.com/UaAtegsNNh
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) May 9, 2026
Saturday night's first inning continued a strong streak for the Deacs. They have now scored at least one first-inning run in 11 of the last 13 games, with a total of 28 runs in the opening frame during that stretch. Additionally, the Deacs improved to 21-5 when scoring in the first inning this season.
Hit Parade Continued
Wake Forest had 14 hits in the six innings they took to the plate. Five Deacs had multiple hits. Waltz went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs. He had five RBIs and crossed the plate three times. It was the fourth multi-homer game of his career, and his five RBIs matched a career high.
Conte's home run was his third extra-base hit of the weekend. He had two doubles in Friday night's game against WKU. He went 3-for-3 on Saturday. Costello, Lewis, and Schaaf also had multiple hits in Saturday's game.
What's Next for Wake Forest Baseball?
The Demon Deacons conclude the series against Western Carolina on Sunday at 1 pm ET. Wake will look to get the brooms out and sweep the series. The game will be the last of the season at the Couch. Later this week, Wake Forest plays Liberty in Lynchburg, VA, and then ends the regular season with a Big Four rivalry series against Duke in Durham.
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Barry is the managing editor/publisher of Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI sites. He oversees a team of 12+ writers and photographers covering all sports at Wake Forest. He writes on football, basketball (men’s and women’s), baseball, men’s tennis, and other sports as needed. His weekly articles include ACC Power Rankings and Poll Watching during the football, basketball, and baseball seasons. Barry is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He has covered the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, the 2023 College Football National Championship, the 2023 College World Series, the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tennis National Championship, ACC Kickoff, and ACC Tipoff. He is an avid sports fan and traveler, and he loves any opportunity to see a sporting event in person. He has been to 18 of the 30 MLB ballparks, experienced game day at 25 college football stadiums, seen 21 NFL stadiums, and been to 16 bowl games.