Wake Falls to NC State 6-5 in Game 3, Wins Series

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Despite securing run-rule wins in the first two games of the series, the Wake Forest baseball team (27-14, 11-10 ACC) dropped the series finale to NC State (26-14, 9-9 ACC) in 10 innings, falling by a score of 6-5 on Sunday afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark.

That's baseball. pic.twitter.com/yDhTkADHVW

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) April 19, 2026

Junior Kade Lewis recorded his 19th multi-hit game of the season to lead the Demon Deacon offense, finishing the game with three hits and a season-high four RBIs. Lewis roped a two-run single to give the Demon Deacons the lead in the first inning, before launching his eighth home run of the season in the third. The Sartell, Minn., native also added an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th to make it a one-run game.

Kade's fourth RBI of the day cuts it to one 🔪 pic.twitter.com/yBZ16Y1TMr

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) April 19, 2026

Lewis was spectacular throughout the series, finishing 8-for-10 at the plate with nine RBIs, three home runs and five runs scored in the three games against the Wolfpack. He also logged a home run in each game of the series, matching his longest home run streak of the season.

Still fighting 🥊 pic.twitter.com/nINMYDJEmK

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) April 19, 2026

Freshman JD Stein provided the only other run of the game for the Deacs as he launched a solo shot just over the left field wall in the bottom of the seventh, marking his fourth home run of the season and second of the series. Stein also added a two-out single in the ninth to give him his eighth multi-hit performance of the season.

Free baseball for the first time this year.

E9 | WF 4, NC State 4 pic.twitter.com/W0wHj6x8k6

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) April 19, 2026

Sophomore starting pitcher Cameron Bagwell recorded a solid outing on the mound as he logged three strikeouts while allowing just two runs in 5.0 innings pitched. Meanwhile, sophomore Rhys Bowie tossed five strikeouts in 2.0 innings of relief.

Let's go win it 👊

M9 | WF 4, NC State 4 pic.twitter.com/JKaIQe2t7l

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) April 19, 2026

FROM COACH WALTER
“That’s a bad loss. It’s a game that we should have found a way to win. We gave ourselves a chance in the ninth and the 10th, which I’m proud of, but [we] had the lead late and couldn’t hold on to it. We had a chance in the first inning to blow the game open. We had runners on first and second, nobody out, two runs already in, and we just had two non-competitive at-bats. Late in the game, we gave up too many free passes and couldn’t control the running game. They found a way to punch across runs and unfortunately, we didn’t make them earn those runs, which is disappointing. I thought [Rhys] Bowie threw the ball well. I maybe should have gone to [Marcelo] Harsch to start the eighth if I had it to do it over again. That’s probably the one decision I would make differently. I know they had a ton of hits, but not a lot of them were hit hard. They just kind of found space, and that’s baseball. Our balls didn’t find holes, and theirs did. We need to bounce back and find a way to win on Tuesday, and then we have a huge series coming up at Georgia Tech.” – Head Coach Tom Walter