Logan Bravo hit two home runs, Duke pitching held Clemson’s high-powered offense to just three hits in eight innings, and the sixth-ranked Blue Devils withstood a ninth-inning rally to earn a 5-2 victory over the Tigers in ACC play Friday night at Jack Coombs Field in Durham.
The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak for No. 9 Clemson (15-2 overall, 0-1 conference) in what was the Tigers’ conference opener.
Blake Wright was 2-for-3 at the plate with a long home run to straight away center to lead off the fourth inning against Duke starter Jonathan Santucci (4-0), who otherwise struck out 11 batters in five innings and yielded only two hits to lower his ERA to 2.19 for the season.
Clemson’s only other run came in the first inning when Cam Cannarella reached on an error. After a wild pitch sent Cannarella to second, he took third on a deep fly ball from Will Taylor. Wright reached base on a slow roller to third that scored Cannarella for an RBI infield single.
Duke (15-3 overall, 3-1 ACC) wasted no time in responding against Clemson starter Austin Gordon. Just four batters into the home half of the inning, Bravo sent a fastball over the wall in right-center for a three-run home run to give the Blue Devils a 3-1 lead.
Bravo got his second home run of the night in his next at-bat when he sent a hanging breaking ball over the left field wall to make it 4-1.
Macon Winslow had three hits in a 3-for-3 performance that included a solo home run with one out in the fifth off Clemson reliever Joe Allen.
Gordon (0-1) suffered the loss for Clemson, lasting only three innings and allowing four runs and six hits. He had to pitch his way out of danger to avoid falling further behind in all three innings.
Rocco Reid threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings without allowing a hit and striking out five. Promising freshman Drew Titsworth struck out the side in the eight inning to give him five scoreless appearances on the season.
After Reid and Titsworth kept the Tigers within striking distance, Clemson got a single and two walks in the ninth against Duke reliever Charlie Beilenson. Beilenson got out of the jam by getting Alden Mathes on a groundball to Bravo at first to end the game.
Tristan Bissetta (2-for-4) had a ninth-inning single to continue his recent hot hitting. Bissetta now has eight hits in his last 16 at-bats. Duke out-hit Clemson, 9-4.
The series resumes Saturday with a battle of left-handers in a scheduled 3 p.m. (EDT) start. Tristan Smith (1-0, 2.89 ERA) will face Duke’s Andrew Healy (1-1, 5.63). The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.