The baseball team scored when it counted Tuesday, as it came from behind to earn a 5-4 victory over the Albany Great Danes at Jack Coombs Field. The victory was Duke's fifth straight, and the second in two days over the Great Danes (0-4).
The Blue Devils (9-6) had not led since the fourth inning and faced a 4-4 tie going into the bottom of the ninth. Freshman Michael Golom led off the inning with a base on balls, freshman Javier Socorro was intentionally walked, and freshman Adam Murray singled, loading up the bases for senior Brian Patrick, who already had two doubles in three at bats.
"[Head] coach [Bill Hillier] had to convince me to take [the pitch]," Patrick said. "I wanted to hit it so bad, but it was the right call in that situation."
Playing it by the book paid off. Albany reliever Will Haskell, who looked shaky while warming up, struggled to find the strike zone, then chucked one in
"I didn't want to do anything stupid on the basepaths with Brian up," Golom said. "The main thing in that situation was not to have any hesitation."
The game almost became a rerun of Patrick and Tim Layden's offensive heroics in the eighth inning, when the pair hit back-to-back doubles to tie the score at four. The duo had opened the seventh inning in Monday's game with back-to-back doubles to lead off an inning that put Duke ahead for good. In Tuesday's action, Layden and Patrick had four of Duke's five hits.
"You expect that from these guys," Hillier said. "That's why they're sitting at the middle of the order. I consider them our two best hitters."
For his part, Patrick downplayed notions that he and Layden were Duke's only offensive catalysts.
"I wouldn't say it's a hot streak because we'd be glad to get hotter," Patrick said. But aside from Patrick and Layden, Duke struggled offensively, going just one for 22 at the plate.
"Our approach this week has been better," Patrick said. "Today was kind of an off day. When we get into conference we'll have to make some adjustments to be successful."
Such adjustments could include reducing the team's mental errors. The Blue Devils made a costly mistake earlier in the game, miscuing defensively on a bunt that could have ended the fifth inning.
With two outs, winning pitcher Zack Schreiber fielded a Craig Farley bunt, then looked up to find no one ready at first base to catch the toss. The Great Danes capitalized, as a triple and a double later in the inning led to two runs and an early 4-2 lead.
The Blue Devils look to extend their winning streak to six games today at 3 p.m. at Jack Coombs Field against Le Moyne. The Dolphins lost 8-2 to UNC Tuesday.
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