Wake Forest players evaluate impact of weather delay on comeback win

Wake Forest‘s 3-2 comeback win over Stanford in their first game of the College World Series appeared to have stemmed from some clutch hitting and strong defense down the stretch. But mother nature was also a major factor for the Demon Deacons.

Wake Forest entered the seventh inning down 2-1 to the Cardinal when a weather delay hit Omaha. A halt in the action could be a distraction for some teams, but for Wake Forest, their players used it as an opportunity to reset and finish the game stronger than they started it.

“I think we always have this saying that anything that goes wrong or anything we just stay good. We were all just staying good when that happens. It gave us a chance to reset,” star pitcher Rhett Lowder said.” And we said in the locker room whoever wins the rain delay is probably going to come out on top. I think we got back focused and got some energy going, and I think that worked in our favor. I think we won the rain delay.”

Lowder’s day on the mound was over when the delay occurred, pitching 5.1 innings and recording six punch-outs. But following the delay, junior right-hander Seth Keener took over the pitching duties and shoved for the Demon Deacons, striking out four straight batters in his 1.1 innings pitched to keep Stanford off of the scoreboard down the stretch.

“Rhett said it well. We call ourselves the king of delay. Every time we have a delay we come out with so much energy, and our vibe is immediately switched,” Brock Wilken explained. “For us to come out there like that, probably something that wasn’t expected from the other side. And that’s what great teams do during delays.”

Wilken represented the team’s lone run for the majority of the game with a solo home run in the second inning. But after a five-inning scoring drought and a rain delay, Wake’s offense found new life thanks to designated hitter Danny Corona.

“I was going to say we got to get loose, play some card games, play some hacky sack. Got the music bumping. It got us right,” Corona said.

The delay definitely got Corona right, as he was hitless for the entire game until his two-RBI single in the eighth inning gave Wake Forest their first lead of the ball game and just what they needed to secure the win.

We’ll see if the elements continue to favor Wake Forest on Monday, as they take on LSU at 7 p.m. ET in the double-elimination round of the College World Series.