WAKE FOREST, N.C. – Three days removed from her first loss of the season, Jil Livengood assured that No. 4-ranked Wake Forest would bounce back.

The senior UNC recruit drove in the only run that she needed to back her 14-strikeout effort in a 1-0 win at Heritage.

For the second time in her electric three-year career at Wake Forest, the right-hander surpassed 200 strikeouts in a season.

She now has 802 for her career, 610 with the Cougars, and a 0.25 ERA this season.

Through the first five innings of Thursday’s crosstown rivalry, Heritage’s Emily Claudio went pitch-for-pitch with Livengood.

The Huskies got a six-hit effort from Claudio with a dozen strikeouts.

Wake Forest’s lone run came with two out in the fifth.

Mia Spahlinger started the frame with her second hit of the afternoon. She advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on Livengood’s second hit of the day, an opposite-field single to claim the lead.

Heritage tried to threaten with hits in the final two innings, but a double-play ball ended the sixth, and a strikeout wiped away a two-out single in the seventh.

Livengood limited the 3-4-5 hitters in the Huskies’ order to an 0-for-8 day with a walk and six strikeouts.

Wake Forest is now 13-1 overall. After Monday’s loss to Wakefield, the Cougars share a claim of the league’s top spot at 7-1.

Heritage dropped to 9-7. The Huskies have a one-game lead over Millbrook for third place in the Northern Athletic Conference standings.

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