App State baseball had multiple chances to pull off a road victory against Wake Forest University in Shelby on Tuesday, but the Demon Deacons outlasted the Mountaineers 3-2, snapping App State’s seven-game win streak in its final nonconference game of the season.
The Demon Deacons opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run to deep left field by left fielder Andrew Costello.
Graduate student infielder Steven Smith was hit by a pitch, and sophomore right fielder Riley Luft cracked a single to begin the top of the fourth. Sophomore infielder Ethan Puig tied the game by driving in Smith on a ground ball, though the Demon Deacons turned a double play to clear the bases.
One batter later, junior designated hitter Kameron Miller launched his team-leading 8th home run of the season to center field, giving App State a 2-1 lead. Miller was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week after blasting 4 home runs last week in games against East Tennessee State University and Georgia Southern University.
Wake Forest responded in the bottom of the fifth inning with a go-ahead 2-run single off the bat of first baseman Kade Lewis.
The Mountaineers enlisted the services of six pitchers to piece together a bullpen game, holding the Demon Deacons in check, striking out nine batters in the game. The defense excelled as well, highlighted by senior infielder Jake Mummau throwing out Demon Deacons right fielder Luke Costello at home plate in the bottom of the seventh inning to keep it a 3-2 game.
However, the offense that scored 34 runs against Georgia Southern mustered only 2 hits in the game — the Luft single and Miller home run — and struck out 11 times.
The Mountaineers had the tying run on base in each of the final three innings but could not score. With a runner on second base and one out in the seventh inning, App State struck out twice to end the inning. With two on and two out in the eighth, Puig struck out to end the threat. Miller walked to begin the ninth, but Wake Forest turned a double play, and freshman catcher Colton Denton struck out looking to end the game.
With the nonconference schedule complete, App State has three Sun Belt series remaining before the conference tournament begins. The Mountaineers are currently in line for the No. 3 seed in the tournament, sharing the same 13-8 conference record as Southern Mississippi University, but losing the tiebreaker due to Southern Miss winning the head-to-head series 2-1.
App State travels to Alabama to face Troy University this weekend. Game one Friday is scheduled for 7 p.m., and all three games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
