This weekend, the Duke baseball team traveled from the city of medicine to a city known more for more recreational drugs. The Blue Devils, however, still could find no cure for what has ailed them all season-the inability to win one-run conference games.
Maryland's 5-4 come-from-behind victory on Saturday put a damper on an otherwise brilliant weekend for Duke in College Park, Md. The Blue Devils (35-15, 7-13 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) sandwiched a 12-3 blow-out win Friday and a 5-3 win Sunday around Saturday's disappointment.
"[Struggles in close games] have really been the story of the year. It's a lot of sour grapes," Duke coach Steve Traylor said. "The conference one-run games have really kept us from having a spectacular season. We'd be in the top four potentially [in the conference]."
After romping over Maryland in the opening game at Shipley Field, the Blue Devils looked to be on the verge of another win Saturday when they took a 4-3 lead into the eighth inning against the worst-hitting team in the conference.
Against Duke's flame-tossing lefty Chris Capuano, however, the Terps mounted a comeback. With two outs in the eighth inning, Adam Ross singled home Brian Patenaude to tie the game.
In the tenth, Capuano yielded a single and hit a batter after opening the inning with a strike-out and was lifted in favor of Vaughn Schill. Maryland countered with pinch-hitter Jared Vogt, and Vogt won the confrontation with a weakly-hit dribbler through the right side of the infield to drive in the winning run. The loss dropped Duke's conference record in games decided by one run to 1-6.
In the opening game of the series, freshman J.D. Alleva hosted his own coming-out party. The second baseman went 5-for-5 on the day-including three home runs-to lead an 18-hit Duke attack. Schill played Dr. Watson to Alleva's Sherlock Holmes, as he also collected five hits and launched his 11th dinger of the season.
By picking up the win Friday, Blue Devil ace Stephen Cowie ran his season record to 10-1. Cowie scattered 10 hits and struck out eight while only walking one in his fourth complete game.
Duke received another strong outing from its Saturday starter, Brad Dupree. The sophomore righthander pitched the first seven innings, surrendering eight hits and three runs before handing a 4-3 lead over to Capuano.
The Blue Devils, however, made good on their chance at redemption on Sunday. With the score tied at three apiece in the ninth inning, Duke catcher Gregg Maluchnik singled to right field to bring home Jeff Becker-who had doubled to lead off the inning-with the go-ahead and eventual winning run. Wes Goodner plated an insurance run when he singled in Maluchnik. Schill closed out the game with a nearly flawless inning.
Brent Reid took the start for Duke on Sunday, going six-and-a-third innings and allowing three runs on only three hits. Capuano relieved Reid in the seventh and pitched a shaky inning-and-two-thirds, allowing five baserunners in that span. Capuano, however, became the beneficiary of the Duke offense when it scored two runs in the ninth inning.
"This is a very good series for us," Traylor said. "Anytime you go on the road and win two out of three, I think you have to be pleased. We got outstanding starting pitching all three games and played great defense."
By taking two of three games, Duke moved out of its seventh-place tie with Virginia, who was swept by Wake Forest in a three-game series. Duke needs one win next weekend at N.C. State to clinch seventh place and avoid the play-in game of the ACC Tournament.
Note: J.D. Alleva became the second Blue Devil to rip three homers in a game this season. Gregg Maluchnik went deep three times early in the season against Tennessee.
Michael King contributed to this story.
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