In a game that determined control of their bracket, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons defeated LSU 3-2 to secure their seventh consecutive win in the NCAA tournament. The victory came after a come-from-behind effort, with Wake Forest being 2-0 in the Men’s College World Series (MCWS) and maintaining their undefeated streak in the tournament.
Bennett Lee, the catcher for the Demon Deacons, played a crucial role in the game. He made a remarkable defensive play in the eighth inning when he caught a bouncing throw from third baseman Brock Wilken and tagged out Tre’ Morgan, preventing LSU from taking the lead. Lee’s play was described as an “unbelievable pick and tag under pressure” by Wake coach Tom Walter.
Shortly after Lee’s defensive play, Danny Corona hit a double, and Lee followed up with a base hit that brought Corona home, giving Wake Forest the winning run. With this victory, Wake Forest advances to the next round, where they will face the winner of the matchup between LSU and Tennessee.
Wake Forest’s two wins in the MCWS have both been come-from-behind victories, making them the third team to achieve this feat since the tournament moved to Charles Schwab Field in 2011. Their resilience and ability to secure wins despite not leading in the eighth inning have drawn comparisons to past successful teams in the MCWS.
LSU’s starting pitcher, Ty Floyd, had a strong performance, limiting Wake Forest to two hits and striking out 10 batters. However, he lost his command in the sixth inning, walking three consecutive batters, which led to Wake Forest tying the game.
Wake Forest’s starter, Josh Hartle, pitched six innings and recorded nine strikeouts, setting a Wake Forest record for the most strikeouts in a season with 140.
The game took a dramatic turn in the eighth inning when LSU had runners on the corners with no outs. However, the Demon Deacons’ defense came through, with Wilken making a crucial play by backhanding a grounder down the line and making a throw home to Lee, who tagged out Morgan in a close play. Wilken then completed a double play by picking up Gavin Dugas’ grounder, ending the inning and preventing LSU from scoring any runs.
Despite the tough loss, LSU coach Jay Johnson expressed confidence in his team’s ability to bounce back, citing examples of teams that had previously lost early in the MCWS but went on to reach the finals.
Wake Forest’s victory puts them in a strong position to advance to the finals, needing only one more win to secure a spot.
