Comeback Falls Short as Duke Falls to Army, 2-1

Friday, February 14

Durham Bulls Athletic Park

4 p.m.

Duke University

0-1

Army

1-0

Army

Duke

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Comeback Falls Short as Duke Falls to Army, 2-1

2/14/2020 9:35:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Boxscore

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke baseball fell just short in its comeback effort against Army West Point, suffering a 2-1 loss on Opening Day on Friday afternoon at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Blue Devils fall to 0-1 on the season as the Black Knights claimed the first game of the series.

Facing a 2-1 deficit entering the final half inning, Duke used a leadoff single from sophomore Ethan Murray to begin the ninth-inning threat. Murray, representing the tying run, advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Michael Rothenberg before eventually being stranded on second with a pair of flyouts to end the inning.

The Black Knights received an impressive performance from their starter Logan Smith (1-0). Smith tossed 7.0 shutout innings of one-hit baseball, collecting 10 strikeouts while yielding one walk to pick up the win. Duke starter Bryce Jarvis (0-1) suffered the loss, working 4.0 innings while allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits, while yielding one walk and registering two strikeouts.

Army West Point struck first in Friday's series opener with one run in the top of the third to grab the early lead. After a two-out infield single gave the Black Knights a baserunner, a two-base error by the Duke centerfielder resulted in a run scored to make it a 1-0 game in favor of Army.

The Black Knights returned to the dish to put up another single tally in the fourth, making it a two-run ballgame. With one down, a bunt single followed by a double to left field placed a pair of runners on second and third. A bunt attempt in the next at-bat brought a run across for Army to push its lead to 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

Duke registered its lone run of the contest in the eighth to trim the deficit in half. Junior Chris Crabtree led off the frame with a triple to right field before coming across to score on a balk by the Army West Point pitcher and make it a 2-1 contest.

The Duke bullpen shined over the final five innings, thwarting the Army offense to keep game within striking distance. The trio of junior Matt Dockman, senior Eli Herrick and redshirt freshman Jimmy Loper combined to work the final 5.0 innings, holding the Black Knights scoreless. Loper, who made his first career appearance, tossed a perfect frame in the ninth the keep it a one-run game.

"I thought the bullpen pitched great," said head coach Chris Pollard. "I liked our comfort level with runners on base. We were really comfortable executing pitches with runners on. We pushed one across in the eighth and we got the tying run on in the ninth and didn't get him across, but that's baseball."

The Blue Devils reached one in the ninth, but could not scratch across the tying run as Murray was stranded on second base to end the game.

The Blue Devils resume the series at 1 p.m. Saturday with game two. Freshman Henry Williams will take the mound for Duke while Army West Point will counter with Anthony Loricco.

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