Duke broke out the bats over the weekend, posting 22 runs over three games to earn a key series victory over No. 11 Clemson (23-10, 10-5 in the ACC). Will Currier continued to lead the Blue Devils (19-13, 5-10) at the plate, adding his second, third and fourth home runs of the week while driving in nine runs for Duke’s first series victory since beating then-No. 11 North Carolina over a month ago.
“This isn’t a ballpark where you’re gonna hit three singles all the time and score runs. You’ve got to be able to bat,” McNally said. “I feel pretty good about Will, and [Jeremy] Gould and Jake [Lemmerman] and [Will Piwnica]-Worms. They’re threats every time up and that’s been key for us.”
The series began in a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair, with the Blue Devils rallying for five runs in the eighth inning to topple the Tigers, 10-9. Duke starter Christopher Manno gave up a season-high seven runs in five innings, but the bullpen held Clemson to just two runs the rest of the way.
Currier’s two-run homer in the third highlighted a four-run inning which gave the Blue Devils an early lead. But Ryan McCurdy was the hero for Duke, bailing out Manno by pushing a two-out bases-loaded bloop single into left field. Marcus Stroman scored from second to provide the game-winning run.
“[McNally] has got us preparing really well before games so we know what we’re going to see on weekends,” Currier said. “Take a good approach, shorten up, and try to get the barrel to it and make good things happen.”
Saturday’s contest was another thriller but this time the Blue Devils came up just short, losing 11-5 in 11 innings. The Duke offense mustered a grand slam from Currier plus an RBI double from Stroman, but it was not enough to support a strong outing from Dennis O’Grady. The junior threw five-and-two-thirds innings and gave up only three runs.
The excitement began in the top of the ninth inning, when the Tigers knocked in two runs off Stroman to take a one-run lead. Stroman managed to make up for his pitching woes in the bottom of the frame, however, by lining a 1-2 pitch down the left field line. Jonathan Foreman crossed the plate easily from second base but Worms was thrown out trying to score from first, sending the game to extra innings.
Duke threatened in the 10th, putting runners on first and second with no out. Again running aggressively, McNally tried to score Brian Litwin from second on a wild pitch. After a remarkable relay by Clemson hurler Tomas Cruz, catcher John Nester applied the tag on Litwin to end the rally.
In the 11th, relievers Ryan Knott, Eric Pfisterer and Devin Burke could do nothing to staunch an explosive Tiger offense. By the time the final out had been recorded, Duke was down six runs.
Sunday’s matchup was markedly less dramatic. Making his first-ever weekend start, freshman Chase Bebout threw seven-and-a-third innings and only gave up two runs on six hits. Although the 6-foot-6, lanky righthander lacked consistent control over his fastball all afternoon, he was able to keep the typically high-scoring Clemson lineup in check.
“Bebout was the story today,” McNally said. “For it to be his first weekend start? A little bit jittery early on, struggling to throw strikes, he just settled in really nicely.”
The Blue Devils never trailed in a game in which they got to starter Will Lamb early and often, sending the Tiger to the showers after the third inning. Duke had ten hits, including home runs from Currier and O’Grady.
“You have to have some success to build some confidence in this league,” McNally said. “You’ve just got to grind them out and you’ve got to take advantage of being at home.”
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