Weekend recap: Duke runs out of pitching in finale
Duke went into its series against North Carolina having given up double-digit runs in four of its last five games.
The Blue Devils pitched much better than that and split the first two games before running out of steam in Saturday’s series finale.
Duke (23-23, 9-15 ACC) lost the series opener 3-1 and then won the middle game by that score. UNC (36-8-1, 17-7) won the finale 22-5 in seven innings on Saturday.
Here are quick recaps of each game this weekend:
UNC 3, Duke 1
On Thursday night, Duke could only get three hits (all singles) and an unearned run against Jason Decaro (7-2).
UNC got a run against Aidan Weaver (4-6) in his five innings of work. The Tar Heels got the game-deciding run with Jaydn Nunez’s RBI single against Marcello Mastroianni in the sixth.
The Blue Devils brought the game tighter in the eighth when Michael DiMartini scored on a throwing error by UNC catcher Macon Winslow, a Duke transfer.
The Tar Heels got an insurance run with Owen Hull’s ninth-inning RBI double against Bennett Lapalm.
Duke 3, UNC 1
On Friday night, Duke scored all three runs in the first inning on a two-error play and that was enough to even the series.
Two-out singles by Kaden Smith and Matthew Strand brought DiMartini to the plate. He reached — with Smith and Strand scoring — on an error by right fielder Carter French. And DiMartini scored on a throwing error by Gavin Gallaher.
Peter Lemke (2-4) induced a whole lot of soft contact after that. Duke’s starter went 7 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, three walks and three hit batters. He only had one strikeout. Lemke was aided by three double plays.
Ben Dean picked up the save by pitching the final 1 1/3 innings. He hit two batters and allowed a hit, and all four outs he recorded were strikeouts.
UNC 22, Duke 5 (7 innings)
On Saturday, Duke actually led 1-0 after two innings before the Tar Heels erupted.
UNC scored multiple runs in each of the last five innings of this game. The big ones were a seven-run fourth and a six-run seventh. The top four of UNC’s lineup — Jake Schaffner, Gallaher, Hull and Winslow — had a combined 12 hits and 16 RBI.
Duke used nine pitchers. The only one who didn’t give up at least one run was Aiden O’Connell, who only faced two batters (hit one, struck out one).
Those nine pitchers combined to allow 18 hits, nine walks and six hit batters.
