Hours after The Chronicle reported that two former players admitted to using steroids, the current Blue Devils were forced to push thoughts of the story out of their minds and take the field against yet another ACC rival.
As the buzz continued to swirl around the team, Duke (11-27, 3-15 in the ACC) tried to focus on a three-game series with Maryland (16-22, 5-16) and improve its conference record.
In the end, Duke did just that, taking two of the three games against the Terps to win their first ACC series of the season.
“I think everybody feels pretty good right now,” head coach Bill Hillier said. “I’m happy for my kids, they’ve responded well in the last few days.”
After eking out a 2-1 victory over Maryland Friday, the Terrapins pummeled Duke 13-3 in the second game of the series. In Sunday’s rubber match, however, Duke sailed to a 6-1 victory on the arm of David Torcise and the bat of Javier Socorro.
In the first inning it looked like it was going to be another shaky outing for Torcise, whose recent inconsistency moved Hillier to skip the sophomore’s start last week against Clemson.
With two outs, Terrapins Will Frazier and Jordan Wilson recorded back-to-back doubles to give Maryland an early 1-0 lead.
Torcise would settle down, however, and Frazier would be the only Terrapin to cross the plate.
The sophomore threw seven strong innings, showing few of the control problems that had earned him a 6.97 ERA heading into Sunday’s start. Torcise allowed only one run on seven hits and one walk while fanning five batters.
“He stepped up for us big time,” Hillier said of his southpaw, who had not had a win since Feb. 13. “In his career, that might have been as good a performance as he’s had.”
After Socorro tied the game up at one with a soaring home run over the leftfield wall, the Blue Devils took control of the game, scoring four runs in the bottom of the second. Socorro was an offensive sparkplug at the top of the order for the entire game, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs and a steal. The junior is on a tear, with a hit in 17 of his last 37 at-bats.
“When you’ve got a guy in the leadoff slot who is getting on base for you or leading off with a solo home run, it helps a bunch,” Hillier said.
With an offense in constant motion, Hillier kept the Terps guessing with hit-and-runs, bunts and steals as the Blue Devils stole five bases, keeping Maryland pitchers off balance and continually challenging catcher Bobby Ryan.
“I think when we run around the bases it gets into the head of the other pitcher,” Torcise said. “It’s a mind game out there basically, and we won today.”
Solid pitching was the key to Duke’s win in game one as well. Senior Greg Burke threw his first complete game of the season and surrendered only one unearned run. Although Duke’s two runs came on a wild pitch and a Brett Bartles sacrifice fly, the way Burke was pitching, it was enough.
In Saturday’s contest, however, Terrapin hitters got to Duke starter Danny Otero quickly. The sophomore lasted only two innings, giving up six earned runs on six hits. The Blue Devil bullpen, coupled with a faulty defense that surrendered three errors, failed to provide any relief as Maryland would go on to score 13 runs on 15 hits.
“Danny Otero did not throw well,” Hillier said. “That’s by far the worst outing he’s had for me to my knowledge.”
The Blue Devils’ defensive woes disappeared Sunday. The team improved from Saturday’s three-error blowout to play flawlessly in the field.
“We did an overall great job as a team today,” Torcise said of the final victory. “We hit-and-ran well, we played good defense, we pitched well—just an overall great performance by the team.”
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