Wake Forest coach Tom Walter happy with pitching even after giving up early lead

After about a two-hour delay to the start of the Winston-Salem Super Regional due to a medical emergency, Alabama and Wake Forest are underway playing for the right to go to Omaha.

Wake Forest jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after two innings before Alabama leveled things up in the third and fourth inning.

Demon Deacons starter Rhett Lowder had a very positive start on the mound but has missed a couple pitches that allowed the Crimson Tide to drive the ball out of the ballpark. Both ways home runs had been the primary source of offense early.

“Yeah, I think he’s done a good job,” Wake Forest coach Tom Walter said during an in-game interview on the broadcast. “He hasn’t had as good fastball command, obviously left an 0-2 pitch out over the plate and a 1-2 pitch too much middle that hurt him. But other than that he’s throwing the ball really well.”

It didn’t take long for the scoring to get underway at The Couch in the Winston-Salem Super Regional.

On the very first pitch of the game, Wake Forest center Fielder Tommy Hawke took Alabama ace Luke Holman deep to right field for a solo home run.

The Demon Deacons would add another solo shot to start the second inning, as well, when second baseman Justin Johnson jumped on a Holman pitch and blasted it to right center field, making it 2-0. Another run scored a few minutes later when a Holman wild pitch allowed right fielder Pierce Bennett to come home.

Alabama began to answer in the third inning of the Winston-Salem Super Regional.

Center fielder Caden Rose got the Crimson Tide on the board with a solo home run to left field on an 0-2 pitch. Alabama would plate a couple more in the fourth inning, evening the game at 3-3.

Designated hitter Dominic Tamez drew a walk, then third baseman Colby Shelton hit a two-run homer to right field to bring them both home.

Still, despite giving up the early lead, Walter felt good about where his team stands. They’ve gotten to Holman a bit, and he wants to see that continue.

“Well we’ve got to keep grinding, we’ve got to keep putting pitches on him, try to get him out of the game here in the next two innings,” Walter said.

This is the opening game of the Winston-Salem Super Regional. Both Alabama and Wake Forest breezed through their respective NCAA Regionals with three-game sweeps.

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