CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Wake Forest loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth, but a strikeout and a 1-2-5 game-ending double play gave the Boston College baseball team a thrilling 5-3 win Saturday at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field.

The Demon Deacons loaded the bases thanks to a single, a walk and a hit batsman. Sophomore Taylor Lasko got Trenton Langston to fan at strike three for the inning's first out. Sophomore Matt Brazis came on to close the game and induced Pat Blair into a comebacker. Brazis took his time going home and got the first out but junior Garret Smith had no time to convert the double play at first. Steven Brooks, who had been on second, overran the third base bag though and Smith gunned him down on a close play to end the game.

Sophomore Mike Dennhardt had his second quality start in a row, throwing 7.0 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits. He struck out five but walked six. Dennhardt, the reigning ACC Pitcher of the Week, threw 13.1 consecutive scoreless innings before giving up two in the fifth.

Brazis picked up his fifth save of the year.

Senior Robbie Anston went 2-for-3 at the plate for BC (18-17, 8-9 ACC) with a double, two RBI and a run. Senior John Spatola hit his ninth home run of the season and had two RBI and junior Mickey Wiswall hit a triple and scored a run. Sophomore Anthony Melchionda went 2-for-4.

With the win, Boston College has climbed back above the .500 mark for the first time since March 5.

Wake Forest loaded the bases with no outs in the second with a pair of singles and a walk but Dennhardt escaped without allowing a run. Blair fouled out to Spatola in right and a strong throw home kept the runner at third, then Dennhardt induced Matt Conway into a 5-3 inning-ending double play.

The Eagles used that momentum and scored two more times in the second with a clutch two-out hit from Anston. Melchionda singled under the diving second baseman to leadoff and then Smith moved him up with a sacrifice bunt. Sophomore Andrew Lawrence drew a walk to put a pair on, then they both reached scoring position on a groundout during a hit and run. Anston came up with a two-run single on a 1-1 count to put BC up 3-0.

Spatola added to the lead in the third when he pulled an 0-1 offering over the wall in right for a solo homer.

Wake Forest cut the deficit in half with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Taylor Kaprive was hit by a pitch with one out and then Ryan Semeniuk doubled down the line in left for Wake's first run. After a deep fly out to left for the inning's second out, Mike Murray singled up the middle for a run to cut into the lead, 4-2.

BC got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the frame. Wiswall hit the 385-foot marker on the wall in left-center for a triple with one out and Spatola was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners. Freshman Matt Watson then pulled the first pitch of his at-bat through the right side for an RBI single to make it 5-2.

Wake scored a run in the top of the seventh to pull within two. Murray drew a one-out walk and then Mac Williamson doubled to left to put two runners in scoring position. Langston grounded out to drive in the run.

Williamson went 4-for-4 for the Demon Deacons (10-27, 2-15) with a pair of doubles. Semeniuk also had two doubles, drove in a run and scored once. Murray was 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run and two walks.

The series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.