CHAPEL HILL—Another day, another no-show by the Duke offense.
The Blue Devils fell to No. 20 North Carolina for the second straight day Saturday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium, this time 6-2. No. 2 major league prospect Michael Matuella started strong for Duke against the Tar Heels, allowing just one hit and one walk in three innings of work, but for the second time in as many days, the Blue Devil offense just couldn’t get going.
“We had better at bats [Saturday] after striking out 16 times on Friday night,” head coach Chris Pollard said. “As a whole we took better swings. Even though we didn’t have a ton to show for it, we put ourselves in a good position, we kept getting running in scoring position and if you do that eventually you’re going to break through.”
Matuella is recovering from slight tightness that he experienced in his right forearm a couple weeks ago, and Pollard and his staff have been cautious with their ace in weeks since. Saturday was just Matuella’s second start for Duke (10-3, 0-2 in the ACC) since the season opener against California Feb. 13.
Although he was put on a pitch count Saturday, Matuella said he pushed to be able to throw more but was ultimately told he had reached his 40 pitch limit. Pollard said that he expects Matuella to be somewhere in the 60-80 pitch range in his next outing.
The Great Falls, Va., native kept the Tar Heel offense in check during his outing, but once he left the mound, North Carolina (10-3, 2-0) exploded at the plate.
Freshman Mitch Stallings relieved Matuella in the bottom of the fourth inning and started the inning by giving up a double to left fielder Landon Lassiter and an RBI triple to right fielder Tyler Ramirez.
The Blue Devils were able to secure one out with Ramirez on third but were not able to keep him there for long. First baseman Adrian Chacon drilled a ball to left fielder Jalen Phillips but the throw to the plate was not in time.
After the sacrifice fly, designated hitter Brian Miller singled up the middle for the Tar Heels. Stallings attempted to pick Miller off at first but first baseman Justin Bellinger could not come up with the throw and the ball scuttled down the line, allowing Miller to advance into scoring position.
The error proved costly for Duke as third baseman Logan Warmoth singled to left field on the next pitch, plating Miller and giving North Carolina a 3-0 it would never relinquish.
“We gave [North Carolina] a little bit in terms of their offense,” Pollard said. “We gave them a run in the fourth, we gave them the two runs in the seventh…and against a really good club when you’re playing on the road you just can’t do that. They’re too good of a club to give them free offense.”
North Carolina starter J.B. Bukauskas turned in six strong innings to earn the victory. The freshman allowed no runs, four hits, two walks and struck out eight Blue Devils.
Duke had multiple opportunities to find a way back into the game but could not come up with the big hit when it needed one.
In the sixth inning, it appeared as if the Blue Devils would go down as quietly as they did in the fifth inning when Bukauskas set them down in order. But with two outs, center fielder Evan Dougherty singled to his Tar Heel counterpart and designated hitter Cris Perez walked to set Duke up with a runner in scoring position and two outs.
Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, third baseman Jack Labosky was unable to capitalize, striking out swinging with a full count.
The following inning, Bukauskas was relieved by freshman Hansen Butler, and Duke was able to take advantage of the pitching swap. The Blue Devils started the inning with two singles up the middle and a walk from Bellinger to load the bases with no outs.
Butler was promptly taken out of the game and replaced by submarining right-hander Trevor Kelley who—along with some help defensively—was able to escape the inning unscathed.
Shortstop Kenny Koplove was unable to solve the odd delivery of Kelley and struck out swinging. Andy Perez lined a bullet up the middle that found the glove of Kelley as he reacted to defend himself. Phillips smoked a hard ground ball to the right side but Chacon dove right to secure the ball and beat Phillips to the bag to end the inning.
Duke finally broke through in the eighth inning on a two-out, two-run double from co-captain Mike Rosenfeld, but it was too little too late in Chapel Hill. The offense ended up leaving 11 men on base.
“Every team goes through something like this,” Rosenfeld said. “Coach was saying that most teams are feeling for their offense at some point in the season and we’re just going through it now, and I totally buy into that. Our pitching has been great…and our offense will pick them up at some point in the season.”
The Blue Devils finish the series against the Tar Heels Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. Sophomore Bailey Clark will attempt to salvage one game of the series in his fourth start of the year.
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