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Duke Baseball: Chaotic weekend still leads to series win for Blue Devils

By Kevin Connelly

SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: Ground crew members remove a tarp off the field prior to a game between the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks that was delayed due to rain PETCO Park on September 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: Ground crew members remove a tarp off the field prior to a game between the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks that was delayed due to rain PETCO Park on September 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Mother Nature wasn’t very kind to the Duke Baseball team this weekend, but the Blue Devils still managed a series victory over Northwestern.

After a 3-0 start to the season last week with a series sweep over Lehigh, the Duke Baseball team keep that momentum going with its first mid-week game against Davidson.

The Blue Devils moved to 4-0 on the season with a 7-3 win over the Wildcats.

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Bill Chillari (1-0) picked up the win for the Blue Devils, pitching three and two-thirds inning, not allowing a run, striking out four, and only walking one.

Kyle Gallagher led the way at the plate for Duke, belting his first home run of the season and the first home run of his career, picking up 3 RBI on the day in addition to his two hits.

Joey Loperfido, Chris Crabtree, Rudy Maxwell, and Ethan Murray all picked up one RBI a piece for the Blue Devils as Duke headed into its second weekend series of the season.

Duke welcomed in Northwestern to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, but Mother Nature had other ideas.

Rain washed away the Friday afternoon game and the two teams were forced to play three games in just over 48 hours.

In the first leg of the double headed on Saturday, the Blue Devils won an extra inning thriller, 5-4, in 10 innings.

The big blow came from Rudy Maxwell in the bottom of the 10th inning with a walk-off double. The double was Maxwell’s second hit of the game and was able to produce 2 RBI as well.

Michael Rothenberg was the only other Blue Devil to knock across more runs in Game 1, finishing the day with one hit and three RBI.

Graeme Stinson was sensation once again, pitching four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and two walks, with seven strikeouts.

However, it was Ben Gross (1-0) picking up the victory, pitching one inning and striking out two.

In the second game of the double header, the bats woke up for both teams, in a big way.

Northwestern struck for five runs in the first three innings, but it was in the bottom half of the third, the Blue Devils took off.

Duke plated 12 runs in in the bottom of the third innings, en route to a 23-8 victory.

Every Duke starting position player recorded at least one RBI, except for Tyler Wardwell, who walked and scored once on the night.

Jack Carey (1-0) picked up the victory after surrendering three runs in three and one-third innings pitched with four strikeouts.

After a long day on Saturday, the Blue Devils weren’t able to keep things going on Sunday, losing for the first time this season, 5-3.

Eli Herrick (0-1) was given the loss for Duke after allowing three runs (2 ER), in two-thirds of an inning, as the big blow for Northwestern came in the 8th inning, when the Wildcats scored three runs.

The Duke Blue Devils now sit at 6-1 on the season and have one mid-week game against Richmond on Tuesday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park before heading down to Bradenton, Florida to face Penn State in a three game series this weekend.

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