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Duke Blue Devils Baseball Notches Another Series Victory By Beating Princeton In Durham

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Baseball

Duke Baseball (8-3) claimed another series win to open the 2023 season over Princeton (2-5) on Sunday, 12-5, at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The three series victories to begin the 2023 campaign mark the first time since 2019 that Duke has opened the season with three series wins.

Freshman Aidan Weaver earned his first collegiate victory out of the bullpen on Sunday, working three no-hit innings for the Blue Devils.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

  • Princeton jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, hitting a two-run home run to right field.
  • The Blue Devils regained the lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring three runs on a bases loaded hit by pitch and two walks, 3-2.
  • The Tigers jumped back on top in the top of the third inning, scoring three runs to lead 5-3.
  • Junior Luke Storm reached on a throwing error by the second baseman to score freshman Tyler Albright in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the Tigers lead to one, 5-4. Junior Jay Beshears gave Duke the lead later in the inning, hitting a double off the wall in center field to score a pair, 6-5. Junior Alex Stone kept the inning alive with two-outs, scoring Beshears from second on a single to center field, 7-5. The Blue Devils tacked on three more in the inning to extend the lead to 10-5.
  • The Blue Devis added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Storm doubled to left center field to score Mooney from third, 11-5.
  • Freshman Andrew Fischer added a run in the eighth inning for the Blue Devils, when he hit a ball out to left field for a sacrifice fly, 12-5.


NOTES 

  • Junior Jay Beshears finished the day 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, including driving in two runners to give the Blue Devils the lead for good.
  • Freshman Aidan Weaver tallied his longest-career outing on Sunday, working three innings of no-hit baseball and striking out four. Weaver earned his first collegiate win, while tying his career-high in strikeouts.
  • Sophomore Fran Oschell III worked 2.2 innings and scattered two hits in relief of Weaver on Sunday. The righty punched out four batters, before freshman James Tallon ended a bases loaded threat in the eighth.
  • Freshman Tyler Albright collected a multi-hit day on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a walk.
  • Sophomore Alex Mooney had his hitting streak end Sunday, but drew a walk and stole two bases, while scoring a run.
  • Duke scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, marking the first time posting seven or more runs in an inning since May 1, 2022, when the Blue Devils scored eight runs in the eighth inning against High Point.

QUOTES

  • "That is two days in a row that we have had someone come out of the bullpen and stabilize the game. Jason White yesterday and then Aidan Weaver today in a tough spot when Princeton has momentum. I thought Aidan was electric and showed some toughness coming in during a dirty inning. He gives us two strong behind the dirty inning and then the job by Oschell III and Tallon behind it to close that one out." – Head coach Chris Pollard on the toughness Aidan Weaver and the entire pitching staff showed today.
  • "The one thing that this team has shown they can do is when they get something rolling, they don't step off the gas pedal. You saw it yesterday, you saw it against Baylor. That is one thing that has been really fun for me to watch this season. Once this team gets rolling they don't get complacent." – On the offense scoring in bunches again on Sunday.

UP NEXT

  • The Blue Devils continue the 18-game home stand welcoming Appalachian State to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.