Northwestern
5-3
#17 Duke
5-5
Northwestern Drops Series Opener at No. 17 Duke
2/28/2025 6:39:00 PM | Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. – No. 17 Duke used a nine-run sixth inning to down Northwestern 14-5 in Friday's series opener at Jack Coombs Field.
Duke (5-5, 0-0 ACC) jumped on Northwestern early with three runs in the bottom of the first. After a single and a double, INF Ben Miller put Duke on the board with a sacrifice fly. OF Ben Rounds added on with a two-run triple to score a pair and put Duke up 3-0.
Northwestern (5-3, 0-0 Big Ten) responded immediately, taking the lead with four runs in the top of the second. After a pair of singles by INF Owen McElfatrick and INF Ryan Kucherak, OF Jack Lausch got NU on the scoreboard with an RBI single to left-center to make it 3-1. INF Jack Counsell tied the game with a two-run double down the left-field line for his first runs batted in in a Wildcat uniform. Next batter, OF Preston Knott gave the 'Cats the lead with a double, scoring Counsell to make it 4-3.
After forcing the Wildcats to pull Starting Pitcher Crawford Wade, the Blue Devils got to the Wildcat bullpen. Duke added a pair in the fifth inning on a solo home run and an RBI double to grab a 5-4 lead. Duke broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth with nine runs on five hits, six walks, and a hit by pitch to take a 14-4 lead.
Northwestern got one back in the top of the eighth when Kucherak singled through the right side, scoring McElfatrick to make it 14-5.
After allowing three runs in the top of the first, Wade settled in to keep the Blue Devils off the scoreboard until he was pulled. Wade went 4.0 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits and one walk, striking out five.
LHP Alex Grant is credited with the loss, surrendering three earned runs on five hits in 1.0 inning of work.
In his Northwestern debut, RHP Jack Grunkemeyer tossed 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks and striking out a pair.
Game two of the three-game series is set for 2 p.m. CT on ACCNX.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Johnson, Kyle (1-2)
L: Grant, Alex (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Knott, Preston 1 ; Counsell, Jack 1
RBI: Knott, Preston 1 ; Kucherak, Ryan 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1 ; Counsell, Jack 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Markinson, Bennett 1 ; McElfatrick, Owen 1 ; Liolios, Trent 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1 ; Counsell, Jack 1
HBP: Markinson, Bennett 1
PO: Mills, Griffin 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1
Batting:
2B: Berger, Jake 1 ; Albright, Tyler 2 ; Harris, Sam 1
3B: Rounds, Ben 1 ; Albright, Tyler 1
HR: Miller, Ben 1 ; Rounds, Ben 1
RBI: Clark, Wallace 1 ; Berger, Jake 2 ; Miller, Ben 2 ; Rounds, Ben 3 ; Winslow, Macon 2 ; Hyde, Jake 1 ; Albright, Tyler 1 ; Harris, Sam 1
SF: Miller, Ben 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Clark, Wallace 2 ; Berger, Jake 2 ; Miller, Ben 1 ; Gracia, AJ 3 ; Rounds, Ben 1 ; Winslow, Macon 1 ; Hyde, Jake 1 ; Albright, Tyler 2 ; Harris, Sam 1
HBP: Clark, Wallace 3 ; Miller, Ben 1 ; Rounds, Ben 1
