Box Score Game Box (pdf)

DURHAM, N.C. – Despite a rally in the eighth inning, the Wofford baseball team was defeated 7-5 by Duke on Tuesday night at Jack Combs Field. The Blue Devils scored five runs in the second inning, but the Terriers answered with five in the eighth before the rally came up short.

Wofford is now 14-16 on the season and Duke is 17-14 overall. The Terriers were led by Mac Doyle with three hits and an RBI, while James Foster added two hits and two RBIs. The Blue Devils were led by Will Piwnica-Worms with three hits and Marcus Stroman and Angelo LaBruna with three RBIs each.

The Terriers had singles from Mac Doyle and James Foster to lead off the second inning. A sacrifice bunt by Taylor Rozier moved the runners into scoring position and David Roney was hit by pitch to load the bases, but all three were stranded.

In the bottom of the second, the Blue Devils loaded the bases on three straight singles. A triple down the right line by Marcus Stroman scored three runs. Angelo LaBruna grounded out to score Stroman for a 4-0 lead. An RBI double by Chris Marconcini added a run to make it a 5-0 game after two innings.

Both sides were retired in order in the third inning and Duke left two runners on base in the bottom of the fourth. Duke also left one on base in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings. Mac Doyle singled for the Terriers in the top of the seventh. A single by Taylor Rozier moved Doyle to third base with two outs, but both runners were left on base.

Duke loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on two singles and an error. A single with two outs by Angelo LaBruna scored two runs for a 7-0 advantage. Wofford had a single from Alex Lee in the top of the eighth and he moved to second on a wild pitch. Clark Wise reached on a walk. A double down the left line by Josh McKinney scored Lee to make it a 7-1 game. A single by Konstantine Diamaduros drove in Wise for a second run and a double by Mac Doyle drove in McKinney for a 7-3 score. A single to right field by James Foster drove in two more runs to cut the lead to 7-5.

The Blue Devils were retired in order in the bottom of the eighth inning. In the top of the ninth, the Terriers also went down in order to end the game with a 7-5 score.

Wofford starter Eric Eck (1-4) went two innings and allowed six hits and five runs with a strikeout. Alex Wilson threw a career-high four innings and allowed three hits with one strikeout. Ryan Traylor, whose father Steve was the head coach at Duke from 1988-99, pitched the seventh and allowed two runs on three hits with a strikeout. John Cornely threw the eighth and did not allow a hit with one strikeout.

Duke starter Robert Huber (3-0) went six innings and allowed only two hits with four strikeouts as he retired 13 batters in a row. Ben Grisz went 1.1 innings and allowed six hits and five runs with three strikeouts. Marcus Stroman threw 1.2 innings and allowed one hit along with four strikeouts.

On Friday, Wofford will begin a three-game Southern Conference series at Elon.