The baseball team traveled to Winston-Salem over the weekend for a three game series against Wake Forest. Duke took two of the three games, winning 7-1 on Friday, losing the second game 8-6, and capturing the third game 11-8. The series left the Blue Devils at 35-13-1 for the season.
The series started with an excellent pitching performance by junior Ryan Jackson. The righthander pitched a complete game, scattering 10 hits, giving up one earned run while striking out eight Demon Deacons. Jackson also paced the Duke offensive attack, going 3-for-5 in the day with a double and two singles. Also having good days at the plate were Sean McNally (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Ray Farmer (2-for-3, RBI), Mike King (2-for-5),and Scott Pinoni (2-for-4, RBI).
The next day, Duke committed three errors which led to six unearned runs and an 8-6 loss. Senior Phil Harrell gave up only one earned run in five innings, yet two errors helped Wake have a five run fifth inning, breaking open a 1-1 tie. Freshman David Darwin came on in relief, allowing only one earned run.
With the score 6-1 after five innings, the Blue Devils attempted to mount a comeback, with two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings. But the attempt proved to be futile, as Duke ended the game two runs short. Leading Duke's offense was freshman left-fielder Mike King, who went 3-for-6, and senior right-fielder Cass Hopkins, who went 2-for-3.
Duke ended the series with an offensive explosion of 16 hits and an 11-8 victory. The Blue Devils got off to an early start with five runs in the first inning, capped off by a two-run homer by Mike Olexa.
The Demon Deacons, on the other hand, were unable to get their offense going against freshman Scott Schoeneweis. The southpaw scattered eight hits while giving up two runs, on a homerun hit in the third inning. The Duke ace raised his overall record to 11-1 for the season.
The Blue Devils were led offensively by Hopkins, Jackson, and Pinoni. Hopkins was 4-for-5 with 2 runs scored. Jackson was also 4-for-5 and he added 4 RBI while hitting his 11th home run of the season. Pinoni contributed three hits in four at bats with an RBI.
Duke continued to amass runs throughout the game and carried an 11-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth. Yet with Josh Shipman on the mound in relief of Schoeneweis, the Blue Devil defense began to have mental lapses. Two errors led to a bases loaded situation, which the Demon Deacons quickly took advantage of. After Chris Smith singled in two runs to cut the lead to 11-4, the bases were again loaded on a walk. One out and a grand slam later, the Duke lead had quickly shrunk to 11-8. Craig Starman came on in relief to earn his second save as Duke held on to its lead and gained the win.
The Blue Devils next play on Tuesday against Elizabeth City on Tuesday at 3 p.m. at historic Jack Coombs Field.
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