Home is a happy place for the Blue Devils.
After winning a gritty series against rival N.C. State over the weekend, Duke will host Davidson at Jack Coombs Field Tuesday at 6 p.m. This is the second match up of the season between the two squads with the Wildcats scoring a 3-2 victory March 25 in Davidson, N.C.
But Duke (20-17) is a different animal at home. In addition to their 2-1 record at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, the Blue Devils are 16-6 at Jack Coombs Field this season and are currently riding a nine-game win streak at the on-campus stadium.
“I think it’s nice to play this game at Coombs,” head coach Chris Pollard said. “Davidson has always been a team that’s traditionally played very well in [its] own park…. I like the fact that we’re playing the ball game at Coombs, especially since they’ve got quite a bit of power in their lineup and [with] the way that Coombs will play… it’s a tough place to hit the ball out of the ballpark.”
Davidson (22-10) will look to end Duke’s current home streak behind its powerful offense. Of the nine Wildcat starters, seven are currently batting over .300 on the season. Led by junior designated hitter Ryan Lowe, the Wildcats offense has frustrated pitchers all season, averaging 6.8 runs per game.
Fortunately for the Blue Devils, pitching has been a strength all season long. Duke’s 3.13 team ERA is good for third best in the ACC. What has plagued Duke all season has been its ability to come up with the big hit—the Blue Devils left 32 men on base in last weekend’s series against N.C. State alone. Pollard emphasized that clutch hitting will be the key to Tuesday’s game as well.
“It boils back to what’s been our tipping point all year, and that is [coming] up with opportunistic hits with runners in scoring position,” Pollard said. “Looking back at the [previous] Davidson game, we had guys in position—even in the ninth, we had guys in position—and we just have to come up with that hit.”
Despite the dearth in timely hitting, the Blue Devils have seen a spike in offense lately from some key components in the lineup that had been struggling previously this season. Second baseman Andy Perez went 4-for-4 at the plate in the series finale against the Wolfpack on Sunday, and first baseman Aaron Cohn collected three RBIs, including the game-winner.
Third baseman Jordan Betts and right fielder Chris Marconcini have been the most consistent bats in the Blue Devil lineup all season and continued their solid play. Combined, the players drove in five runs while going a combined 4-for-9 in the dramatic win on Sunday.
Duke will be sending freshman Kevin Lewallyn to the mound against the Wildcats to start. Lewallyn is 2-1 on the year with a 3.75 ERA. This is Lewallyn’s second start of the season, the first coming a week ago in the 9-1 win over N.C. Central.
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