Duke Drops Midweek Game to Liberty, 9-2

Tuesday, March 29

Durham, N.C.

4:00 P.M.

Duke University

12-13

Liberty

16-7

Liberty

Duke

Duke Drops Midweek Game to Liberty, 9-2

3/29/2022 7:20:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score BOX SCORE SEASON STATS PHOTO GALLERY COACH POLLARD POSTGAME

DURHAM – Duke fell to Liberty, 9-2, Tuesday afternoon in a midweek matchup at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

A one-run game through eight innings, Liberty (16-7) scored six runs in the top of the ninth to pull away from the Blue Devils (12-13).

Senior right-hander Cooper Stinson started on the mound for the Blue Devils in a planned bullpen day. Stinson was effective in his scoreless two-inning outing, allowing just one hit and striking out three.

Pauley scored the first run of the game, hitting a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning to give Duke the lead, 1-0. The Blue Devils doubled their lead in the third inning, after graduate student Wil Hoyle led off the inning with a single before freshman Alex Mooney moved him to third with no outs on a perfectly executed hit-and-run. Hoyle scored on a groundout later in the inning.

Liberty took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning, hitting a three-run home run to right center field. Following the homer, Duke retired 14 of 15 batters faced through the eighth inning, including nine strikeouts.

The Blue Devils had chances to pounce on the Flames, loading the bases in the fifth and the eighth innings but were unable to prosper.

Liberty added six runs on six hits in the ninth to seal the win, 9-2.

Sophomores Adam Boucher and Josh Allen were sharp in relief. Boucher allowed just one walk while striking out three in two innings of work. Allen followed Boucher's lead, fanning four in the minimum number of batters over two innings.

Duke returns to ACC play this weekend, hosting No. 17 Miami for a three-game series at the DBAP. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

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