WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Interstat) — Wake Forest scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, capped by a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, to defeat Louisville 6-5 on Friday at Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park.

The Demon Deacons trailed 5-1 after two innings but chipped away and staged a dramatic rally in their final at-bat, sending the sellout crowd into a frenzy and improving to 31-17 overall and ending their series opener with a walk-off victory. Louisville fell to 26-21.

Wake Forest’s Javar Williams went 4 for 4 with an RBI and a stolen base, while Boston Torres homered and drove in a run. Tague Davis powered Louisville with two home runs, his 28th and 29th of the season, and drove in two runs. Jimmy Nugent added a two-run homer in the second inning for the Cardinals.

Louisville jumped ahead early. In the top of the first, a single by Rose put a runner on, but he was caught stealing and the inning ended scoreless. The Cardinals broke through in the second. Crain singled, and Nugent followed with a two-run homer to deep center, his eighth of the year, making it 2-0. After a walk, a double play ended the inning.

Wake Forest answered in the bottom of the first. Williams singled, moved to second on a Lewis single, and scored on an RBI single by Conte to cut it to 2-1.

Louisville stretched its lead in the top of the third. Davis led off with a solo home run, his 28th, to make it 3-1. The Demon Deacons responded in the bottom of the third. Williams doubled, advanced to third on a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt by pitcher Ethan Eberle, and scored on a wild pitch, trimming the deficit to 3-2.

In the fourth, Wake Forest tied it. Torres led off with a solo homer, his third, making it 3-3. Later, with two outs, Schaaf singled, Stein singled, and Williams drove in Schaaf with a single through the left side, giving Wake Forest a 4-3 lead.

Louisville regained the lead in the fifth. Slanker doubled, Elam doubled him home, tying the game 4-4. Davis walked but was picked off, and the inning ended with the score still 4-4.

The game remained tied until the top of the eighth. With two outs, Davis hit his second homer of the game, a solo shot to deep center, putting Louisville ahead 5-4. That chased Wake Forest starter Chris Levonas, who allowed four earned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.

Louisville carried that lead into the bottom of the ninth. Brandon Shannon, who had pitched two scoreless innings in relief, returned to the mound. Stein led off with a single to right-center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Williams walked, bringing up Costello.

Costello laid down a sacrifice bunt. Shannon’s throw to first sailed wide, allowing Stein to score and Williams to advance to third. Costello reached on the error, tying the game 5-5. Lewis walked to load the bases. Conte then was hit by a pitch, forcing in Williams with the winning run as Wake Forest celebrated a 6-5 victory.

Shannon took the loss, allowing one earned run on one hit with four strikeouts in two innings. Marcelo Harsch earned the win for Wake Forest, striking out four in 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief.

The victory was Wake Forest’s second straight against Louisville after the Demon Deacons won 9-8 in 10 innings on Thursday. The teams play again Saturday, and Louisville travels to Vanderbilt on Tuesday before a series at Miami. Wake Forest hosts Western Carolina next week before a road series at Duke.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Louisville 6, Wake Forest 5. Interstat’s ELO system projected Wake Forest with a 59.40 percent probability to win.