Duke takes down UNC with pitching

Offense ran the show at Durham Bulls Athletic Park Friday and Saturday as Duke and No. 11 North Carolina split the first two games of both teams’ ACC opening series. Yet it was the Blue Devils’ two greatest assets—pitching and defense—that gave Duke (11-4, 2-1 in the ACC) its second straight series win over its greatest rival.

After giving up a whopping 32 runs in the first two games of the series, Duke got a wonderful pitching performance from its Sunday starter, junior Dennis O’Grady, and an equally solid relief effort from sophomore Ben Grisz that shut the door on any hopes North Carolina (12-4, 1-2) may have had for a late comeback.

Duke waited just about as long as it could, though, to pull ahead Sunday. The Blue Devils fell behind early and trailed 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning before a double from Eric Brady tied the score at three. And in his only at-bat of the game, Brian Litwin—who had come on as a pinch-runner earlier in the game—knocked a two-out single through the infield to pick up two RBIs and give Duke a lead it would not relinquish.

On the mound, O’Grady hit his only rough patch in the third inning, when the Tar Heels put two runs on the board. Other than that, it was smooth sailing for Duke’s pitching staff. O’Grady gave up seven hits and struck out four in six effective innings of work despite his no-decision, and Grisz allowed just a single hit in three innings to get the win.

The Blue Devils’ efficient fielding was another main contributor to the win. Duke committed two errors in each of the first two games of the series, yet committed none in the rubber game.

North Carolina’s pitching kept Duke’s bats quiet as well, especially in the game’s first seven innings with starter Colin Bates on the hill. Bates gave up just two runs—both on a homer by Will Currier in the fifth frame—but was let down by his bullpen. Tar Heel reliever Greg Holt was responsible for Duke’s three-run outburst in the eighth and got the loss Sunday.

The Tar Heels pounded the Blue Devils Friday at DBAP, churning out 21 hits in a 21-9 victory. But Duke responded well the next day and matched North Carolina’s offensive output hit for hit in a 15-11 win. Junior Jake Lemmerman and sophomore Will Piwnica-Worms both hit three-run home runs in front more than 2,000 fans, the biggest crowd Duke has drawn at home in head coach Sean McNally’s five years at Duke.