Tag: Wallace Clark

Duke uses two grand slams to demolish Florida State 16-4 and capture second ACC Tournament Title

Duke uses two grand slams to propel them to second ACC Tournament Title.

A new champion has emerged in the ACC Baseball realm, and they hail from Durham, NC.

On a Sunday afternoon, Chris Pollard and his team showcased their resilience, demolishing a top 10-ranked Florida State squad 16-4 to claim Duke’s second-ever ACC Tournament title.

Duke entered the tournament as the sixth seed, and while there was no doubt about their inclusion in next week’s NCAA Tournament, the Duke players had a chip on their shoulder to perform better against the ACC’s best of the best than they had in the regular season. They lost a few close games, ultimately the difference between Duke finishing as a three-seed or higher in the conference tournament.

After losing two of three in the regular season to them, Duke knew the Seminoles would be challenging. 

And from the outset, things were dicey quickly as James Tallon served up a two-run home run to Cam Smith of FSU to start the game.

Down two runs, Duke didn’t panic, and in the top of the second, the Blue Devils hit the gas and would never look back.

After loading the bases, Oklahoma transfer Wallace Clark came up with a chance to do damage. He would get hit by the at-bat’s first pitch, which cut into Florida State’s lead to 2-1.

FSU brought in Noah Short for Carson Dorsey, and Duke star freshman Kyle Johnson roped a two-run double down the left field line, pushing Duke ahead for a 3-2 lead. Later that inning, AJ Gracia blooped a two-run single to give the Blue Devils a 5-2 lead.

In the fourth, Ben Miller left his handprint on the game when he hammered a grand slam to make it 9-2. The Seminoles got two runs back in the bottom of the inning with a Jaime Ferrer two-run homer, but the Duke offense was still going strong.

 

Outfielder Chase Krewson drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth to make it 10-4, and then senior Devin Obee smashed the second Blue Devil grand slam of the day moments later.

Duke would allow no more runs and would cruise to the title the rest of the way.

Duke’s offense was remarkable this tournament, and they showcased why on Sunday. They did it in many ways, piecing together rallies and using the long ball to score. Devin Obee was named ACC Tournament MVP after he hit three home runs in the final three games.

The win improved the Blue Devils to 39-18 on the season.  Duke is looking to advance to the College World Series for the first time since 1961 and eventually pursue the first national championship in program history. After being dropped to a No. 2 seed in most postseason projections, the Blue Devils did their best to make a case to host at least a regional round.

Duke uses explosive 5th inning to crush NC State 8-1 to clinch ACC Tournament semifinal berth

Duke uses three-homer fifth inning to run away from the NC State Wolfpack and advance to ACC Semifinals.

This Duke offense can turn the heat up on anyone. And if there’s a likely culprit doing damage in the middle of it, his name is probably Zac Morris.

That was the case on Thursday night as the Blue Devils used an explosive fifth inning and ran away from their fellow Triangle rivals, the NC State Wolfpack.

Duke and NC State battled it out in Charlotte for the right to advance to the ACC Tournament Semifinals in a win-or-go-home scenario. Only one team could advance from Pool C, and it was whoever walked out with two wins on Thursday night.

Sophomore starting pitcher Andrew Healy was a tone-setter for the Blue Devils as he came right out and had an uneventful one-two-three inning to kick the game off. He settled into a groove and ended his night throwing five innings of shutout baseball. He struck out four batters and walked none on a very economical 59 pitches.

During the top of the fifth inning, his teammates decided to help him out. Left fielder Chase Krewson took NC State’s Sam Highfill the opposite way for a solo home run to put Duke up 1-0. Devin Obee and Wallace Clark singled, and Highfill walked All-ACC freshman Kyle Johnson to load the bases.

Zac Morris, who already had a team-high 17 homers for the season, then took a 1-2 pitch deep to left-center field for a grand slam.

Ben Miller flew out before AJ Gracia got in on the action with a solo home run himself. Like that, Duke was up 6-0, and they never looked back.

Krewson would walk to start the sixth inning, and Devin Obee hit a laser of a line drive that was initially ruled a double before an umpire’s review deemed it a home run, giving Chris Pollard’s team an 8-0 lead.

James Tallon and Tim Noone combined for four innings of one-run ball to close the game, and Duke would eliminate NC State from the ACC Tournament.

From now on, the ACC tournament will be single elimination, so Duke will remain in do-or-die mode. Duke will have Friday off before taking on the winner of Pool D, Virginia, or  Florida State on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Duke baseball sweeps Miami after six-run comeback, second walk-off on Sunday

Duke made up six runs in the eight inning and overcame a three-run deficit in the 11th for their third straight one-run victory over Miami on Sunday.

The Blue Devils baseball team had a flair for the dramatic over the weekend in Durham.

Duke swept Miami with three straight one-run victories, including a walk-off from Ben Miller on Friday and a six-run comeback in the eighth inning on Sunday, to extend the program’s win streak to five games.

Miller’s heroics defined the day in the weekend opener. With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, he smoked a ground ball past Miami third baseman Daniel Cuvet for the mic-drop victory.

The Saturday game didn’t lower any heart rates at Jack Coombs Field. Duke jumped out to a four-run lead through the first four innings after four different Blue Devils drove in a teammate.

Miami squared the game with two runs in the sixth and seventh innings apiece, but Duke catcher Alex Stone got his turn with the cape in the bottom of the seventh for Duke. With two runners in scoring position, Stone bounced a wild ground ball off the pitcher’s mound and into the outfield to drive home the go-ahead run. Neither team got on the board in the final two innings, meaning Stone’s RBI turned out to be the deciding play of the game.

With the sweep on the line on Sunday afternoon, Miami led 7-1 in the middle of the eighth inning. Miami designated hitter Lorenzo Carrier, who finished with a game-leading three RBIs, added the last runs to the early blowout with a two-run homer.

The game seemed lost for the Blue Devils, but Duke’s batters went to work in the bottom of the frame. Left fielder Chase Krewson singled home one run before Stone doubled home another. A walk loaded the bases, and the Hurricanes’ pitching staff melted down from there.

Nick Robert got called to the mound and beaned Duke centerfielder Devin Obee to plate another run. Pinch hitter Harrison Rodgers drew a walk, and all of a sudden, the Blue Devils only trailed by two.

Two batters later, with the lead just one after a sacrifice fly, Miller stepped up as the team superhero again and belted a fly ball over the right fielder’s head for the game-tying double.

After a scoreless ninth inning forced some extra frames, the Hurricanes looked like they struck the winning blow after Miami added three runs in the top of the 11th.

With their backs to the wall, however, the Duke offense delivered again. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases before the Blue Devils got handed two easy runs from a throwing error and a balk.

The Hurricanes opted to walk Stone to face Wallace Clark instead. Clark made them regret the decision.

The Duke shortstop rifled a line drive into the left-center gap to bring home both runners in scoring position, ending the game and the weekend.

The Blue Devils, on the heels of the five straight wins they’ve pieced together, are now 24-8 on the season and 9-6 against ACC opponents. They continue their home stand with a Tuesday night game against William & Mary.

Duke baseball blows past Northwestern after five-run first inning on Saturday

The Blue Devils blew past Northwestern for a series-clinching win on Saturday afternoon after a five-run first inning.

Duke baseball won its sixth straight game to open the 2024 season and its second straight game over Northwestern, clinching the weekend series with an 8-2 win on Saturday night.

The Wildcats put a run on the board in the opening inning, working Duke starter Andrew Healy for a double and a single before the third out was recorded.

The Blue Devils responded with a five-run opening inning of their own.

Second baseman Zac Morris singled to center field to lead the inning off, then he stole second base to put himself in scoring position. When Ben Miller laced a base hit into the outfield just a few pitches later, Morris made his way around for Duke’s first run.

After another single from Alex Stone and watching Logan Bravo get hit by a pitch, freshman AJ Gracia brought in another run with a sacrifice fly. Centerfielder Devin Obee chased Northwestern starter Matt McClure from the mound with a one-run single in the next at-bat to give Duke a 3-0 lead.

McClure only recorded one out on the mound, surrendering four hits and earning all five of Duke’s first-inning runs.

After another sacrifice fly from catcher Macon Winslow, freshman Kyle Johnson added the final run of the first when he somehow threaded the first-base foul line to send a ball into the right-field corner. He ended up on third base with a triple, bringing Obee around to score.

The first-year Blue Devil is off to a scorching start in his Duke career, with the extra-base hit bringing home his first RBI of the season on top of five innings without an earned run on the mound.

Winslow kept his momentum in his second at-bat when he blasted a line driver over the left fielder’s head for an RBI double.

The Duke catcher ended the day with two hits and two RBIs on three at-bats, his first two runs batted in so far this season.

Shortstop Wallace Clark added one of the last exclamation points of the day at the plate, launching a solo moonshot off the right-field scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth to stretch the lead to six runs.

Healy also settled in on the mound after the opening inning, allowing just two more hits over the next three innings and ending his afternoon with three strikeouts. The Blue Devils turned to four different relievers in the final five innings, and the quartet only surrendered three hits and a walk the rest of the way.

The series may already be clinched, but Duke gets the chance to try for the series sweep over the Wildcats on Sunday at noon.

Duke baseball wins defensive battle over Northwestern

The Blue Devils only scored two runs against the Wildcats on Thursday night, but it proved to be all they needed after a team shoutout on the mound.

Duke baseball only managed two runs against Northwestern on Friday night, but it proved to be all the Blue Devils needed after a masterful pitching display.

The Blue Devils (5-0) defeated the Wildcats (1-3) by a score of 2-0 to open the weekend series.

The Duke offense struck early to surge ahead by doing what they’ve done best all season. Through the first four games of the season, Duke racked up 16 home runs, including a staggering 11 in a single game against George Mason.

It seemed the Blue Devils would pick up right where they left off on Friday. Third baseman Ben Miller pounded a solo home run, his third of the year, in the bottom of the opening inning.

It proved to be the only long ball of the game, however. Shortstop Wallace Clark drove in another run in the second inning, a two-out single that brought home teammate Devin Obee. After that, however, the Blue Devils only managed two hits for the rest of the game, not scoring another run.

Two runs proved to be more than enough for Blue Devils ace Jonathan Santucci, however.

The preseason All-American dealt six scoreless innings, only allowing five hits and working himself out of jams comfortably.

He allowed a baserunner in each of the first two innings, but he ended each side with a harmless fly ball. The Wildcats again threatened, or tried to, in the top of the third. The first two batters reached base on a walk and a single, giving Northwestern the go-ahead run at the plate with nobody out. Santucci promptly forced a ground ball before back-to-back strikeouts left the Wildcats hanging again.

Two singles from the first three batters in the fourth put runners on the corners with one out, but Santucci mowed down the next batter on a swinging third strike before he forced a groundout. Another rally halted.

Santucci’s final two innings went much more comfortably, with a single in the fifth and a walk in the sixth, and no runner advanced past second base.

Through his first 11 innings of 2024, Santucci has given up nine hits and five walks while striking out 17 batters. He has yet to allow a run.

Sophomore Owen Proksch took over in the seventh and added two scoreless frames of his own. He retired the first five batters he faced, let up one single in the eighth, and then retired the next batter to end the inning.

Proksch trotted out again in the ninth, but after an opening walk, Duke coach Chris Pollard opted for his ringer. Charlie Beilenson, who already converted his first three save opportunities so far in 2024, took the game ball with the game-tying runner at the plate. He struck out the first batter he faced before a single gave the Wildcats a glimmer of hope.

Beilenson struck out the next two batters in seven pitches.

The graduate student’s fourth save of the year gave the Blue Devils their fifth straight win to open the season and their first of a three-game weekend series against the Wildcats. Duke and Northwestern play again on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.

No. 12 Duke kicks off 2024 campaign with 6-3 win over Indiana behind Santucci, transfer Logan Bravo

No.12 Duke baseball kicked off 2024 campaign with a 6-3 win over Indiana.

Friday started what head baseball coach Chris Pollard hopes to be a historic season for the Duke Blue Devils baseball team.

No. 12 Duke got their 2024 campaign started as they hope that this year is the year they break down the door and punch their ticket to Omaha, Nebraska, and the College World Series.

Duke started its campaign with a win over the Indiana Hoosiers of the Big 10. Preseason second-team All-American Jonathan Santucci has been tabbed as the ace of Duke’s staff, so it was only fitting the junior was given the ball in the season’s first game. His first inning was rocky as he allowed a walk and a hit but fought back to strike out three Hoosiers to get out of the gym.

Braden Risedorph started for Indiana and held the Blue Devils in check for four innings before the top of the fifth rolled around, and the Blue Devils scratched across their first run of the season. True freshman Kyle Johnson doubled with two outs and was knocked in on an RBI double from Oklahoma transfer Wallace Clark. Indiana would bring in Ryan Kraft, and he’d close the door on the Blue Devils in the fifth.

Santucci would give Duke one more scoreless inning before his day was over. He threw 86 pitches in his 2024 debut and struck out seven batters while walking two and allowing zero runs on four singles.

Back-to-back home runs by catcher and captain Alex Stone and Harvard transfer Logan Bravo stretched Duke’s lead to 3-0 in the top half of the sixth before Indiana answered with two runs courtesy of shortstop Tyler Cerny, who took Duke reliever Owen Proksch deep.

Duke responded with two more runs at the top of the seventh, thanks again to the combination of Stone and Bravo. Stone hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Wallace Clark. Bravo would come behind him and rip a single down the left-field line to score Zac Morris and make it 5-2 Duke.

Indiana pushed back on Duke again with a home run by center fielder Carter Mathison in the bottom of the seventh against Proksch before Pollard went to his bullpen to call on 2024 stopper-of-the-year nominee Charlie Beilinson to get Duke out of a two-on-and-one-out jam with the game at 5-3. Beilinson would do just that: strike out the two batters to end the Hoosiers’ threat and send the game to the 8th inning.

North Carolina native and sophomore outfielder Tyler Albright hit a hanging breaking ball deep to left field to give Duke a 6-3 lead in the top half of the eighth, and Beilinson would shut the door in the eight and ninth to end his day and secure the win for the Blue Devils.

Logan Bravo led the way with a 3/5 one-home run and two RBIs. Alex Stone had two RBIs as well. In total, Duke amassed ten hits and had zero errors defensively.

The Blue Devils will rest up and prepare for a Saturday matinee affair with the George Mason Patriots tomorrow with lefty Andrew Healy on the bump.

Duke baseball looking to clear final hurdle and get to Omaha as 2024 season is set to start Friday

Duke baseball gets set to open their 2024 season. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Blue Devils’ season opener.

1961. 1961 was the last time a Duke Blue Devils baseball team made the College World Series.

Last year was about showing up every doubter of the Duke baseball program as the team broke every preseason expectation of them en route to a 39-24 record, coming up just one win short of a trip to Omaha, Nebraska.

Head coach Chris Pollard retooled the Duke roster in hopes of clearing that final hurdle and leading his program to heights not reached in over 50 years.

Duke will start the season ranked as the No. 12 team in the country. In short, they will not be sneaking up on anyone this year. And that presents one of many challenges the Blue Devils will face this year: going from solely the hunters to being hunted while still hunting the class of the ACC, Wake Forest, Clemson, and Virginia as they too pursue a trip to Omaha.

The question now is: How does Duke live up to and exceed last year’s results?

It starts with their pitching. Duke’s pitching staff last year was unconventional but highly effective. At season’s end, they had the 18th-best ERA in the country. They’ll need to keep Duke in games as the bevy of transfers and new faces in the lineup, especially around the infield, begin to gel.

The staff’s ace is preseason second-team All-American Jonathan Santucci, a lefty with big strikeout stuff. James Tallon, Fran Oschell, and Andrew Healy are talented pitchers who received preseason award buzz. With that core four of pitching along with reliever Charlie Beilenson, Duke should remain competitive in many games.

They also should get a boost from two-way true freshman Kyle Johnson, who is expected to start in the outfield while contributing a solid number of innings on the mound for the Blue Devils.

Johnson was among the 50 best high school prospects per Perfect Game and was named the number one impact freshman in the ACC during the fall by D1Baseball. Expectations are high, but many around the Duke program believe they are warranted.

Duke’s season will depend on health and how long their revamped infield takes to gel. The Blue Devils lost every infielder from last year’s team that made it to Super Regionals. Some hit the transfer portal, and others were drafted in the MLB Draft last June.

Ben Miller (Penn), Logan Bravo (Harvard), Ben Weaver (Wheaton), and Wallace Clark (Oklahoma) are just a few of the names that transferred in with significant opportunities to start in Duke’s infield. They all have over 50 games of starting experience, so they are far from inexperienced. They’ll need to hit the ground running and quickly find their stride at the plate. As soon as Duke’s nonconference schedule ends, they’ll jump right into conference play, where the ACC is home to five other top-20 teams, and Duke will open ACC play by taking on four of them to start.

As the Blue Devils ready themselves for a weekend slate of games in the Baseball at the Beach tournament hosted by No. 18 Coastal Carolina, they do so knowing that this season won’t be easy. They open up this weekend with Indiana, George Mason, and Coastal Carolina.

The possibilities for this team can be sky-high, but things could get scary if their pitching, health, and offense don’t gel in unison. Nonetheless, this team is talented enough to get to Omaha. Will they?

We’re about to find out.

Oklahoma is one win away from the championship series after a wire-to-wire 6-2 victory over Notre Dame

The Oklahoma Sooners inch one win closer to the championship series after defeating Notre Dame by a score of 6-2 on Sunday evening.

Oklahoma is one win away from a spot in the championship series of the College World Series. Sunday night they defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Sunday evening in Omaha by a score of 6-2.

The win takes the Sooners to 2-0 in pool play and sends Notre Dame to play an elimination game against the Sooners’ former Big 12 foes Texas A&M.

Oklahoma was paced by an excellent pitching performance from Cade Horton who threw six innings of two-run ball while striking out 11, walking one, and giving up five hits.

Offensively, star shortstop [autotag]Peyton Graham[/autotag] continued his incredible season with a four-hit night that included a walk and a stolen base. [autotag]Tanner Tredaway[/autotag] chipped in with two massive RBIs to pair with three hits himself.

For the Sooners, it wasn’t the home runs that got the job done offensively as Notre Dame, team that ended the regular season with the nation’s seventh-best ERA, kept Oklahoma in the ballpark. Timely base hits, walks, and aggressive base running came together for some excellent small ball for the Sooners.

Oklahoma jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third after struggling the first two innings, stranding four men on base.

A Peyton Graham single and steal was followed by a Tredaway base hit to score Graham from second. Treadway then scored from second on a Wallace Clark single.

Meanwhile, Cade Horton dominated the Notre Dame lineup using a deadly combination of a slider, fastball, and a curveball to keep Notre Dame off balance all evening.

The bottom of the fifth saw Oklahoma hit the gas and pull away for good. A few singles got the Sooners on first and third with one out before what was essentially a safety squeeze turned into two runs as the Notre Dame pitcher fielding the bunt made an errant throw allowing the runner on first to score as well giving Oklahoma a 4-0 lead. Jackson Nicklaus then added an RBI single that extended their lead to 5-0.

Notre Dame would chip into the Oklahoma lead with a two-run home run in the top of the 6th off the bat of Notre Dame’s David LaManna. Horton, who was at 90-plus pitches would finish the inning before giving way to an Oklahoma bullpen that allowed only a walk and to hits to seal the game for the Sooners. Jaret Godman and super senior Trevin Michael pitched three scoreless innings, pushing Oklahoma one win away from the College World Series championship.

The Sooners will be facing the winner of the Notre Dame and Texas A&M elimination game knowing that whoever their opponent is will have to beat them twice to move past them.

Oklahoma’s next game will be Wednesday at 12 p.m. CT.

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