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MIAMI — For two nights at Mark Light Field, Wake Forest baseball looked like it had found the formula: starting pitching that controlled tempo, timely two-out hitting that delivered in key spots, and just enough execution to win a road series in the ACC against a Miami team that rarely makes anything easy at home.
The Demon Deacons mixed dominance with frustration across three games, flashing their ceiling in a Saturday win that evened the series before watching it slip away in an 8-0 shutout loss in Sunday’s finale.
By the time the weekend ended, Wake Forest had shown exactly what it can be—and exactly how quickly it can swing the other way.
Game 1: Miami Edges Wake Forest 3-1 Behind Late Surge
Friday night began with Wake Forest in complete control on the mound.
Sophomore Chris Levonas opened with 12 straight batters retired, working quickly and efficiently while carrying a no-hit bid deep into the game. His command dictated the pace early, and for several innings, Miami had no answer.
But the game shifted in the middle frames.
Miami finally broke through in the fifth inning and gradually built momentum, turning limited opportunities into a 3-0 lead as Wake Forest’s offense repeatedly put runners on base but couldn’t cash in.
The Demon Deacons had traffic in multiple innings, including early contributions from Luke Costello and Kade Lewis, but the final swing never came in key moments.
Wake Forest broke through in the seventh when freshman JD Stein delivered a two-out RBI single to bring home Boston Torres and cut the deficit to 3-1.
That was as close as it would get.
Miami closed it out from there, handing Wake Forest a 3-1 loss despite a strong start on the mound and consistent pressure that never fully converted into runs.
Game 2: Dressler Leads Wake Forest to 3-1 Win to Even Series
If Friday was about missed chances, Saturday was about correction.
And Wake Forest delivered it.
Sophomore Troy Dressler set the tone immediately, settling in after early traffic and then taking complete control of the game. He worked 6.0 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out four and retiring the final 11 batters he faced.
It was the kind of outing that stabilized everything behind him.
This time, the offense followed suit.
Wake Forest scored all three runs with two outs, turning Friday’s frustration into Saturday’s execution.
Kade Lewis delivered in both the fourth and sixth innings with two-out RBI singles, giving the Demon Deacons a 2-0 lead and repeatedly extending innings when Miami was close to escaping.
In the eighth, Luke Costello doubled for his second extra-base hit of the game, and Matt Conte followed with a two-out RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0.
Miami scored once late, but Wake Forest closed it out 3-1 with Dressler’s dominance and a steady bullpen finish.
Game 3: Miami Shuts Out Wake Forest 8-0 in Series Finale
Sunday flipped the series completely.
Miami gradually built control from the third inning onward, turning a tight early game into a steady pull-away win.
The Hurricanes struck for two runs in the third, added another in the fourth, and expanded the lead through the middle innings, eventually building an 8-0 advantage that Wake Forest could not answer.
Wake Forest’s offense never found rhythm.
Blake Schaaf provided one of the few early bright spots with a double, and Luke Costello extended his on-base streak to 18 straight games with a seventh-inning single, but the Demon Deacons were held without a run for the first time in the series.
Freshman Ryan Bosch offered one of the few positives on the mound, working 1.1 perfect innings with a strikeout and continuing a recent run of hitless relief appearances.
But the damage had already been done, and Miami closed out the shutout to secure the split.
Series Takeaway: Execution Defined the Weekend
Wake Forest leaves Miami with a split, but the story of the weekend was consistency—or the lack of it.
Saturday showed what happens when pitching and situational hitting align. Friday and Sunday showed how quickly games can slip away when one piece breaks down.
The result was a series that never lacked competitiveness, but swung heavily on execution in key moments.
Looking Ahead
Wake Forest (24-13, 9-9 ACC) returns home Tuesday to face No. 11 Coastal Carolina before turning to a critical ACC series against NC State.
After a weekend that showcased both control and collapse, the Demon Deacons head home knowing exactly what works—and how quickly it can disappear.
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