Completing its longest unbeaten start since 1942, the baseball team (8-0) defeated North Carolina A&T, 17-3, Tuesday afternoon at historic Jack Coombs Field.
The Blue Devils, ranked 29th in the nation by Collegiate Baseball, posted their second consecutive 17-run game. Duke, which scored at least one run in every inning, was led at the plate by senior Frankie Chiou and juniors Gregg Maluchnik and Michael Fletcher, who tallied three hits each. Sophomore Jordan Litrownik, who hit only one home run last season, began the Blue Devils' scoring bonanza with a grand slam in the third inning.
With the score at 2-0, Fletcher, whose .531 batting average is the team's best, led off the bottom of the third with a triple past the glove of right fielder Tim Wilson. Aggies pitcher Cory Lima walked the next two batters, loading the bases and bringing up Litrownik, who smacked the ball over the left-field fence, making the score 6-0.
Coach Steve Traylor said Litrownik's grand slam was essential to the win.
"I'm very thankful for Jordan Litrownik's grand slam," Traylor said. "We knew we were facing a good pitcher. We knew coming in he was going to be tough."
On the mound, it was the Blue Devil pitching that showed toughness. Five Duke pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts and only one earned run allowed. Starter Richard Dishman (1-0) gave up three consecutive singles to start the game but quickly recovered to get his first win of the season, striking out eight and giving up only two more hits and one earned run after the first inning.
Dishman attributed his success to the team's solid play in the field. "It was just another game," Dishman said. "I knew my defense would make the plays for me, especially Jeff Becker at third base."
Consistent run support and collective relief pitching also contributed to the Blue Devils' domination of the Aggies. Seven of Duke's 18 hits went for extra bases, and 13 of its 17 runs were batted in. Fletcher doubled three times, and both Becker and Chiou tripled.
"We're definitely getting a lot more comfortable at the plate," said Litrownik, who went 2-for-4. "We're getting the job done, scoring some runs."
After Dishman gave up a solo home run and walked two in the fifth, junior southpaw Clayton Connor relieved him in the bottom of the sixth, quickly striking out the side. Traylor pulled Connor one inning later, preferring that righthander Teddy Sullivan face left-handed Aggie pinch hitter Brian Crutchfield. Sullivan, junior Jim Fishburn and freshman Vaughn Schill colluded to prevent an Aggie comeback in the final three innings, holding N.C. A&T to only three hits and one run.
Traylor said he is unsure whether the team can continue this type of dominance when it travels to New Orleans this weekend for the Winn-Dixie showdown, where it will face Tulane, New Orleans and 1996 national champion Louisiana State.
"I don't know if we're going to be able to do that this weekend," Traylor said.
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