After getting off to a quick start Tuesday afternoon and pushing a run across the plate in the first inning, the red-hot Blue Devils ran into serious trouble in the second against Temple.
The Owls opened the frame with a pair of base hits and advanced both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Temple then exploded for three more hits and a pair of walks to bring the score to 4-1 and knock starter Jeremy Gould out of the game.
Duke head coach Sean McNally went to his bullpen and brought in freshman Will Currier to try to keep the Blue Devils in the game. Not only did Currier get out of the jam, but he went on to throw five scoreless innings to earn his first win as Duke (14-1) rallied from behind to top Temple (2-8) 7-4 at Jack Coombs Stadium.
"Getting my first collegiate win was great," Currier said. "I just came in there and was trying to get the ball over the plate. I have to give a lot of credit to my team, they played great defense behind me and it made it really easy to go out there and get the win. I tried to keep the ball down, throw strikes, and the guys put it in play and my team made plays behind me."
With the score knotted at 4-4 in the sixth inning and a man on first with one out, sophomore Kyle Butler-who entered the game after starting shortstop Gabriel Saade made a base-running mistake in the second-ripped a double to left field to put two runners in scoring position.
McNally called for a suicide squeeze on the next pitch and freshman Jonathan Foreman laid down a perfect bunt to bring in Alexander Hassan for the eventual game-winning run.
"It was a second and third situation with a tie ballgame, and I had a lot of confidence Jon Foreman would get the bunt down," McNally said. "I just felt that it would be a good opportunity. They threw it in the zone, and Jon did a great job getting it down. I just really wanted to get out of that inning getting at least one run and that 5-4 cushion."
Duke tacked on two more runs in the seventh inning when Temple fell apart defensively.
Junior Jimmy Gallagher coaxed a one-out walk and then scored all the way from first when Owl right fielder Sean Barksdale misplayed a Nate Freiman base hit. Freiman then came across the plate to make the score 7-4 when Gould-who moved to designated hitter after being lifted from the mound-hit a routine ground ball to second base with two outs that went right through the legs of Matt Heltz.
In the top of the eighth, freshman Michael Seander entered the game and pitched two shutout innings to earn his team-leading fourth save of the season.
"Mike's getting more and more comfortable at the end of games," McNally said. "I know he wants the ball, and he's continuing to pitch better and better at that time of the game. It's very encouraging."
The Blue Devils will take the field again today, matching up against Xavier at 3 p.m. With a win, Duke will equal its win total of 15 from last season.
"We have one game left before we start ACC play, and we feel good about the way we're playing," McNally said. "We can play better though, and we're going to keep getting better. We're going to come out [Wednesday] and continue to play hard."
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