Wake Forest’s offense showed up in style and starter Connor Johnstone pieced together 7.2 innings of three run, ten hit ball to lead the Deacs to a 11-3 win over UMBC in the Deacons’ opener in the Winston-Salem subregional.
Johnstone worked around a leadoff single and a hit batter in the first inning to retire the side by striking out UMBC’s top hitter Hunter Dolshun to end the frame. Retrievers’ starter Michael Austin got off to a solid start for the underdogs, putting the Deacs down in order.
Johnstone came out looking sharp in the second with a quick 1-2-3 inning of his own, getting two ground balls and a strikeout to keep the score 0-0 heading to the home half of the inning.