Bullpen dominance propels Duke baseball past Virginia Tech for 2nd consecutive series win
By Ramona Naseri | April 14, 2019A solid performance by the bullpen in the rubber match Sunday that gave Duke the final push to a series victory.
A solid performance by the bullpen in the rubber match Sunday that gave Duke the final push to a series victory.
The Blue Devils pulled out a 7-5 win Tuesday night thanks to a game-winning double from Kyle Gallagher.
Matt Mervis let the horses loose this weekend, driving in the go-ahead run in the first leg of Saturday’s doubleheader, and then recording four more RBIs, smacking a dinger and scoring the winning run Sunday.
Both teams worked in some new faces and lineups in the contest, which served as a tune-up game.
Although North Carolina is Duke’s biggest rival, head coach Chris Pollard said his team’s preparation for the weekend set has been absolutely no different.
Mervis responded to Davidson's runs with a homer on the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth, capping off his first career three-hit game.
Despite dominating Friday, the Blue Devils dropped their Saturday and Sunday games against the Demon Deacons.
Trailing by four runs entering the ninth, Duke brought the tying run to the plate Sunday, but came up short.
The Blue Devils seek another series victory in its second weekend of conference play.
The Blue Devils jumped all over the East Carolina starter, with all nine hitters in Duke's lineup coming to the plate in the first inning.
After a tough first game of the series, the Blue Devils rebounded Sunday to take down the Cavaliers.
After dropping both games to Penn on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Duke is looking to re-establish itself as an ACC power.
The two losses snapped a 14-game winning streak against Ivy League competition for the Blue Devils dating back to 2013.
Duke began the weekend with a dominant pitching display as Graeme Stinson, Matt Dockman and Jack Carey combined for the program’s first no-hitter since 1955.
The undefeated Nittany Lions are off to the program’s best start since 1980, having swept Monmouth and Fairfield to open the year.
Kennie Taylor doubled as the second batter of the afternoon, and was soon brought home when Michael Rothenberg sent one over the fence.
With a 7-1 record, this is the best start the Blue Devils have had since 2008, even with their record-breaking season last year.
Duke struck out 14 Davidson hitters and allowed only three hits to shut down a lineup that scored 32 runs in a weekend sweep.
Duke maintained a one-run lead from the fifth inning on, including an 81-minute rain delay, to complete a series sweep with a 4-3 win.
Despite a short outing, the junior southpaw showed why he is projected to go in the first round of this year’s draft.