WINSTON-SALEM – Freshly off a six-game win streak, the Elon University baseball team traveled to face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons for its toughest game of the season on Tuesday. Wake Forest entered the game as the second ranked team in the country and the ninth best odds to win the 2023 Men’s College World Series. The Demon Deacons shutout the Phoenix 20-0.
The Demon Deacons wasted no time living up to the hype. Before Elon could blink, the Phoenix faced a 7-0 first inning deficit. The Wake Forest offensive onslaught began with an error by redshirt junior third baseman Connor Coolahan, followed by back-to-back gap-finding doubles. The first out for the Demon Deacons came as junior cleanup hitter Brock Wilken, who entered the night tied for the most home runs in the country, hit a line drive directly to sophomore center fielder Kenny Mallory Jr.
Another double down right field line, a pair of home runs, a three-run and solo shot made the score 7-0. Starting junior left-handed pitcher Cole Reynolds exited after only pitching a third of an inning. Nine other pitchers came in to relieve Reynolds, and only four of them pitched scoreless outings.
The Phoenix offense, which combined for 56 runs over its last four games — including a 14-6 victory at No. 17 North Carolina State — found no success against the Atlantic Coast Conference pitching. Elon totaled just two hits and scored no runs.
“We’re going to try to move on as quickly as we can,” head coach Mike Kennedy said.
The good news for Elon about this game is that it ended. The Phoenix sets its sights on its upcoming weekend series against the University of Delaware Blue Hens. Elon, currently tied for first in the Colonial Athletic Association with UNCW, will look to widen the gap and control sole possession of first place. The first game will be under the lights at Latham Park at 6 p.m. on Friday.