It was elimination Sunday at the Knoxville Regional. A prospect delivered in his former home, setting the stage for a thrilling night cap that was filled with monumental swings.
Wake Forest sophomore Matthew Dallas cruised through 7 2/3 innings to dispose the threat of Cincinnati gaining any momentum on Sunday in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Dallas, a Tennessee native and former Volunteer pitcher, struck out four Bearcats, while walking just one. The left-hander spun 115 pitches and kept damage to a minimum in Wake’s 10-3 victory. After the game, coach Tom Walter said the performance from his starter was one for the ages.
“That’s as good a pitching performance – when it mattered – as I’ve ever seen,” Walter said. “It matches what Rhett Lowder did in Omaha to give us a chance to win that game. That’s why we brought this guy to Wake Forest. We knew he could do this.”
With two bonafide starters available, Walter had options. The coach mentioned yesterday that Logan Lunceford would be available on Sunday, despite closing out the previous elimination game versus Miami (OH).
But, Walter was still in a unique position with pitch planning. He used seven arms on Saturday, yet had two starters available along with some bullpen options with the possibility of two games left. For Game 1 on Sunday, Walter knew he could turn to Dallas for the first task. And the southpaw responded.
“I took it as a challenge,” said Dallas. “(Walter) made a couple of jokes about it. They told me I had a 160 pitch count yesterday. I told my parents and they loved it. But it’s always good to come out and just play another game. You can’t take one game for granted. No matter what I did or who hit home runs, we’re still here and we’re trying to get going.”
Improving Prospect for the Deacons
Lunceford started the night game versus Tennessee. Like Dallas, the right-hander transferred out of the SEC to Wake Forest and saw progression. Lunceford raised his strikeout rate from 18.4% to 34.4%, while lowering his ERA from 6.97 to 5.40. The junior faced the Vols at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in 2024 and allowed two earned runs. Lunceford posted those same numbers on Sunday, before handing the ball to the bullpen.
Tennessee Pitching Prospect to Watch
Just as Lunceford experienced, Tennessee called on pitcher Brandon Arvidson to work on consecutive days.
The Vols left-hander recorded one out on five pitches in relief during Tennessee’s win over Cincinnati on Saturday. On Sunday, he left to a standing ovation after posting 12 strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings in relief. While he gave up five runs on some hard-hits, Arvidson kept Deacon batters spinning against the curveball.
Arvidson has a long frame, standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 215 pounds. The southpaw throws from a high-slot and flashes a curveball that he can bait for whiffs or land for strikes. His fastball has low-to-mid 90s velocity and can be effective as well.
Which Prospect Had the Loudest Game?
Marek Houston got the scoring started with a solo home run in the first inning against Tennessee. The Wake Forest infielder also had a shot that left the yard at 113 mph in the first game of the day. It was a right-center blast against the wind destined for the train tracks behind the ballpark.
Tennessee’s Andrew Fischer launched a two-run homer in the fifth to cut Wake’s lead in half. The blast travelled 430 feet and made it’s way over the batter’s eye. The next inning, freshman Levi Clark had a two-run home run of his own. Clark’s home run hit off the top of the pitcher’s porch in the bullpen. The game was tied at 6 after six innings. Fischer drove in three runs on two hits and extended his on-base streak to 65 games, dating back to last season.
The loudest moment for Wake Forest was the still at-bat by Jack Winnay. The junior drove in two runs on three hits against the Vols. But in his last plate appearance, Winnay watched four pitches from Vols’ reliever, Nate Snead. As the umpire called ball four, Winnay turned to his team in celebration as the Demon Deacons walked in the winning run with bases loaded. The 7-6 victory forced a winner-take-all contest at 8 p.m. ET Monday.
