WINSTON-SALEM (Interstat) — Dalton Wentz homered twice and drove in five runs as Wake Forest pounded Western Carolina 14-2 on Saturday at Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park.

Wentz, a third baseman, went 2 for 3 with a pair of home runs — a solo shot in the second inning and a three-run blast in the third — to lead the Demon Deacons to their second straight win over the Catamounts. Wake Forest improved to 34-17 overall, while Western Carolina fell to 32-19.

The Demon Deacons erupted for six runs in the first inning, sending 11 batters to the plate. After a walk to start the frame, a single by Luke Costello and a single by J.T. Lewis loaded the bases. Wentz drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the first run. Matt Conte followed with an RBI single, and a groundout by Daniel Torres pushed across another run. A sacrifice fly by Matt Keenan and a two-run home run by Blake Schaaf — his fifth of the season — capped the inning and made it 6-0.

Western Carolina answered in the top of the second when Mason Holton hit a solo home run to deep right field, his seventh of the season, cutting the deficit to 6-2.

But Wake Forest responded immediately. In the bottom of the second, a single and a throwing error by Holton put a runner on third, and Costello delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 7-2. Wentz then homered to deep center field, his 14th of the year, and Conte followed with a solo shot to deep left, his 10th, stretching the lead to 9-2.

The Demon Deacons added three more in the third inning. With two runners on, Wentz launched his second homer of the game, a three-run blast to deep left field, giving him four RBIs on the day and making it 12-2. Conte singled later in the inning but was stranded.

Wake Forest tacked on two more runs in the fourth. Blake Schaaf doubled, advanced to third on a single by Nick Stein, and scored on a groundout. Stein then scored on a single by Costello, who finished 3 for 3 with two RBIs.

The Demon Deacons finished with 14 hits, matching the number of runs they scored. Wentz was the offensive star, but Schaaf also contributed a two-run homer and a double, and Conte went 3 for 3 with a homer and two RBIs. Costello drove in two runs and scored twice.

Troy Dressler earned the win for Wake Forest, pitching five innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out eight. Dressler improved his record and held the Catamounts to just two runs after they had taken an early lead in the top of the first on a single by Jake Lyda that made it 2-0. Lyda’s hit drove in two runs, but the Catamounts grounded into a double play to end the inning and never threatened again.

Western Carolina used five pitchers. Owen Austin took the loss, allowing three runs in one-plus inning. Scott Templeton pitched two scoreless innings of relief, striking out three, but the damage was already done.

The Catamounts managed only six hits, with Holton’s home run and Lyda’s single providing the only RBIs. Western Carolina grounded into two double plays and struck out 11 times.

The series concludes Sunday, with Wake Forest hosting Western Carolina again. The Demon Deacons then travel to Liberty on Tuesday before opening a three-game series at Duke. The Catamounts visit Presbyterian on Tuesday before hosting UNC Greensboro for a three-game set.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Western Carolina 8, Wake Forest 6, while Interstat’s ELO system gave Wake Forest a 78.70 percent probability to win.