The Blue Devils just can’t win.
After dropping three straight one-run games to Wake Forest, Duke has fallen to 9-23 and sits at the very bottom of the ACC with a 1-11 conference record. The Blue Devils have lost seven of their last eight games.
The team has failed to grind out wins in many close contests, as Duke has been on the losing end of seven one-run games.
“It’s definitely frustrating to lose one-run games,” junior Adam Murray said. “At times it is tough to handle.”
The Blue Devils have had their share of difficult losses this season as late-inning heroics have come up short. A furious Duke rally in the ninth against Wake Forest Friday mustered only six of the seven runs needed to tie the game.
The Blue Devils have also self-distrusted after building early leads. In Duke’s most recent contest, the team squandered a two-run advantage as the Demon Deacons scored runs in the seventh and eighth to steal a 3-2 victory.
And everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong for the Blue Devils this season.
In its seven one-run losses, Duke has committed 14 errors. These miscues have proved the difference in many close contests, as they have led to at least one unearned run in five of those games.
Duke’s defense has been the team’s most notable flaw this season. The team has committed 57 errors in the field, leading to 55 unearned runs, 22 percent of its opponents’ scoring.
“I think [our defense] has obviously been a little bit of a disappointment,” said Murray, who has an infield-low .933 fielding percentage. “We thought that it was going to be a strong point for us. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out that way.”
The Blue Devils’ defensive woes have placed an increased burden on a starting rotation that has also struggled this season. At times, Duke pitchers have attempted to be too fine, working for the strikeout instead of the putout to make up for the fielding inconsistencies behind them.
“I do, I probably shouldn’t, but sometimes I’m thinking that,” staff ace Greg Burke said of his propensity to focus on getting the K. “It’s tough when you’re out there and runs are coming across that aren’t supposed to come.”
Head coach Bill Hillier has tried to fix his pitching woes by placing an increased responsibility on his top starter. Hillier recently decided to pitch Burke whenever the senior is ready, rather than sticking to an explicit rotation.
The coach hoped that by relying more heavily on his ace, he could avoid the inconsistency of his bullpen, which has collapsed multiple times over the course of the season and holds a 7.55 ERA.
Hillier’s approach, however, does not appear to be working.
The staff sports an 8.64 ERA in conference play—Burke’s 7.71 conference ERA is the lowest on a starting rotation that does not have a single ACC victory.
The Blue Devils’ hitting rounds out their troubles this season—it simply has not been good enough to counteract all of the other problems. Despite five everyday players hitting above .300 in ACC play, Duke is being outhit by conference opponents .347 to .258.
The Blue Devil offense has come in spurts, and Duke has yet to combine timely hitting and good pitching.
“As a hitter, I don’t we have done enough to put the pitchers in positions to be successful,” Murray said. “Not getting enough run support puts a lot of pressure on them and makes their jobs much harder.”
Duke has shown flashes of brilliance in 2005, beating ACC powerhouse Florida State for its only victory in its last eight games, but it has lacked the consistency necessary to contend in the conference.
“I think that times we’ve done all three, but just not at the same time,” Murray said. “That’s what good teams do and that’s what we’re striving to achieve. Hopefully we put those three together in a game more often the rest of the way.”
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