Twenty games into the baseball season, Duke has more wins than any other ACC team.
The Blue Devils coasted to their 17th victory of the season, 10-6, over Hartford (2-4) at Jack Coombs Field Tuesday.
Senior Jonathan Nicolla went 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs, continuing his standout performance over the last week. Since entering the lineup, Nicolla has a six-game hitting streak and a .450 average.
Nicolla's two-run homer helped Duke jump out to an 8-0 lead through seven innings. On the mound, Christopher Manno worked five shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out six.
The Hawks scored five times in the eighth and had the bases loaded in the ninth before Michael Ness came in to pick up his first career save.
The Blue Devils got on the board in the third when Kyle Kreick doubled in Matt Williams. Two batters later, Nicolla hit a scarifice fly to put Duke up two.
The middle of the order propelled Duke again in the fifth. Jeremy Gould doubled ahead of a Kreick single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Freshman Jake Lemmerman-the hero of Duke's win Sunday over Virginia-drove in a run with a fielder's choice groundout. Nicolla followed with his two-run bomb to left-the designated hitter's second longball of the season.
Nicolla started a two-out rally in the seventh by drawing a walk off Hartford reliever John Coury. John Bunder singled Nicolla to second before Coury walked Dennis O'Grady and Grant Monroe to force in a run. Alexander Hassan took advantage of Coury's wildness, stroking a two-run double to give the Blue Devils an 8-0 lead.
With the victory, Duke has yet to lose a midweek game this season. The Blue Devils will put that streak on the line when they complete their two-game set with Hartford Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Jack Coombs Field.
-from staff reports
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