Wednesday night marked Duke’s biggest pitching duel of the season as the Blue Devils managed to scratch out a 1-0 win over UNC-Greensboro.
The combined effort of seniors Michael Ness and Jonathan Foreman gave Duke (20-14) its fourth shutout of the season at the expense of the struggling Spartans (14-19). The Ness-Foreman combo was able to rack up 10 strikeouts without surrendering a single walk on the night.
“I thought our two seniors Michael Ness and Jon Foreman were outstanding,” head coach Sean McNally said. “They both threw the ball as well as I’ve seen them throw it.”
McNally also noted the Blue Devils’ exceptional defense, which never let Ness or Foreman down during the game. Highlighted by play from junior shortstop Jake Lemmerman, Duke posted its 18th errorless game of the season.
For the offense, the night did not prove to be as noteworthy. After scoring only two runs the night before in a loss to Davidson, the Blue Devils again struggled with their bats, only managing to score one against the Spartans. However, impressive play by sophomore Joe Pedevillano allowed Duke to manufacture its only run of the game.
After falling behind 0-2 in the count in the sixth inning, Pedevillano fought back to draw the count to 3-2. He scorched the next pitch into center field for a single—one of only five hits in the game for Duke. On the very next pitch, he stole second. On the next, third. With the go-ahead run now just 90 feet away, Lemmerman would not let the work of his teammate go unrewarded. Taking a two-out, 1-0 fastball to right, Lemmerman’s clutch single proved to be the Blue Devils’ only RBI, giving them the win.
“It was just a night where when we hit the ball hard, we hit it right at people,” McNally said. “We were going to have to be creative and really try to push it to score.... Jake Lemmerman really came up big, got us a base hit, and got us all the runs we needed.”
Though the offense produced just enough, the Blue Devils would not have been able to pull out the victory without a strong showing by Foreman. While his career at Duke has been marked by some tough times, mostly in his sophomore year, Foreman has made his senior year his strongest. Improving his record to 2-0 on the season, his prowess on the mound Wednesday dropped his ERA to an impressive 3.96.
When asked about the night, McNally was quick to point out Foreman’s play.
“For Jon Foreman, it’s the best I’ve seen him throw in his carreer.... He put it together tonight on the mound.”
Looking forward, the Blue Devils will need to improve their offensive play quicky if they plan to win this weekend. Facing No. 6 Florida State in a three-game set in Cary, the matchup is not going to be easy. The Seminoles come into the series giving up an average of 3.86 runs a game to opponents. Compare that with 5.49 and 6.04, the average runs per game allowed by Davidson and UNC-Greensboro, respectively, and Duke could be in for a tough weekend.
However, McNally remains confident in his team’s ability to produce this weekend.
“The good thing is we know that we are capable of producing better results because we’ve done it this year,” McNally said. “Offense is cyclical, it comes and goes at different times, sometimes when you least expect it.
I think our guys will be better going into the weekend.... We’ve got a diverse offense, a good group of players and we’re always capable of success.”
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