Box Score
Box Score
DURHAM, N.C. – Through four innings, North Carolina Central University held a 3-1 lead over crosstown foe Duke University, but the Blue Devils took advantage of five unearned runs during the next five innings, all coming with two outs, to escape Durham Athletic Park with a 6-3 baseball victory on Tuesday night.
After two scoreless innings, Duke (9-7) lit the scoreboard first in the top of the third with a two-out RBI double to right field by Jordan Betts to score Jeff Kremer from first base.
NCCU (9-8) evened the score in the bottom of the fourth when Zach Lee and Luis Diaz posted back-to-back hits, then Troy Marrow bunted home Lee. After a Carter Williamson walk and a wild pitch to place runners at second and third for the Eagles, Dylan Drayton ripped a two-out double down the right field line to put NCCU on top 3-1.
Angelo La Bruna opened the fifth inning for Duke by reaching base courtesy of an infield error. He and Kremer, who walked, both scored on a two-out hit by Chris Marconcini to tie the score at 3-3.
The contest remained tied until the top of the eighth when the Blue Devils loaded the bases thanks to two hit by pitches and a walk. With two outs, relief pitcher Jacob Russell mishandled a ground ball back to the mound and he short-hopped his rushed throw to first base, allowing the go-ahead run to score.
Duke posted a pair of insurance runs in the ninth, again both unearned and coming with two outs, on a single to left field by Grant McCabe.
Kremer and Marconcini each had two hits for the Blue Devils. Pitcher James Marvel allowed just three hits and three runs with three strikeouts and two walks in seven innings on the mound to earn the victory. Andrew Istler closed out the game for Duke by allowing just one hit with three strikeouts to earn his fourth save of the season.
NCCU starting pitcher Jordan Quinn scattered five hits and allowed just one earned run with five strikeouts and four walks in seven innings. Andrew Vernon, who pitched just one-third of the eighth inning, was responsible for the go-ahead run and took the loss for the Eagles.
NCCU head coach Jim Koerner expressed his disappointment after the Eagles let another game get away from them. “We have enough talent on this team to win a conference championship,” he said. “If we are going to take the next step from being average to being good, we have to learn to play under pressure. We have to make plays when plays matter, and we have to get hits when hits are needed. Right now, we are letting the details beat us.
“It’s not so much that our opponents our beating us, we are beating ourselves,” Koerner added. “We have to stop waiting for the other team to give us the game and we have to go out there and take it. That’s separating us from being a really good team.”
After opening the season with 17 consecutive home games, NCCU hits the road this weekend to face Savannah State in a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday (March 16-17).
