Mac Guscette, Colby Shelton cut into Wake Forest lead with pair of solo HRs in comeback bid
Colby Shelton and Mac Guscette are doing all they can to help their team keep its season alive, knocking a pair of solo home runs in consecutive innings to cut Wake Forest‘s lead down to seven runs.
Still, the pair of homers only cut the lead to 12-5 by the time they got to the bottom of the seventh inning. It was obviously going to be an uphill battle for Alabama to get back into this one. That hasn’t stopped the Crimson Tide from trying, though. Shelton and Guscette are leading that charge.
Despite the major discrepancy on the scoreboard, both teams have been going yard all afternoon. All five of Alabama’s runs have been scored off home runs, while Wake Forest has knocked six balls out of the park at the Crimson Tide’s expense.
After Alabama entered the bottom of the first inning, right fielder Andrew Pinckney stepped up to the plate and delivered a two-run shot to start things off.
The second inning was just as exciting. Tommy Hawke belted a two-run homer to right field to put Wake Forest up two runs again. Alabama officially made it a shootout once Colby Shelton hit a solo shot to right field to cut the lead to two in the same inning.
Wake Forest continued to make the most of Sunday’s home run derby with another solo homer, this time from Brock Wilken who hit his home run into the trees outside of left field. From there, Wake poured on five runs in the third inning, two in the sixth and one more for insurance in the eighth.
Tom Walter analyzes Josh Hartle’s performance on the mound vs. Alabama
Wake Forest is on track to make its first College World Series since 1955. Leading Alabama 10-3 through three innings on Sunday, Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter discussed his starting pitcher Josh Hartle’s performance on the mound during the early-going.
“He doesn’t have his cutter today. He’s gotten hurt on cutters and balls that he has left up. We’ve just got to get him back to the bottom of the zone,” Walter said during Game 2’s broadcast. “He got a big shut-down [third] inning there for us, so I’m proud of him.”
Through three innings, Hartle had given up three earned runs on six hits, including two home runs. Although he’s had some trouble with the long ball, he was still able to manage seven strikeouts. He’s also thrown 41 strikes on 59 pitches.
Luckily for Wake Forest, their offensive-heavy park is playing to their advantage because of Hartle’s command.
“You’ve got to make pitches, there’s no doubt about that,” Walter said. “Fortunately, we’re on the right side of it so far but there’s a lot of game to go, and that Alabama club sure is good.”
Catch the rest of the game live on ESPN and ESPN+.
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