Duke Downs Cal 12-7 in Series Finale

Sunday, February 15

Berkeley, Calif.

4:00 PM

Duke University

California

Perez a TD Ameritrade Fan's Choice Award Finalist

Duke Downs Cal 12-7 in Series Finale

2/15/2015 8:39:00 PM | Baseball

By: Duke Sports Information

BERKELEY, Calif. – Duke and California traded leads twice before a five-run Blue Devil eighth catapulted Duke to a 12-7 victory in the series final Sunday afternoon at Evans Diamond. With the victory, the Blue Devils clinched the series, 2-1.

Duke (2-1) trailed 2-0 early before staking a 6-2 lead following a five-run fifth. California (1-2) chipped away at the deficit and regained the advantage, 7-6, in the seventh. The Blue Devil bats broke out for five runs on six hits in the eighth to seal the win.

“That's the great thing about baseball; every day is a new day,” said head coach Chris Pollard. “We've got a young club but they showed a lot of toughness. We didn't have good at bats in the first two innings, but guys didn't get down on themselves. This is something they'll be able to point back to the rest of the year to know that they've got this in them.”

The two teams combined for 27 hits as Cal totaled 14 and Duke 13. The Blue Devils were also able to capitalize on seven walks issued by the Golden Bear staff.

Senior Andy Perez reached base in four of his six plate appearances, totaling three hits and a walk. Perez also contributed two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. Cris Perez, Jack Laboksy and Kenny Koplove contributed two hits each to aid the Duke cause.

Sophomore Bailey Clark pitched well in his first career start, exiting the game with a 6-3 advantage. Clark tossed five complete in the no decision and allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits. The Asheville, N.C., native also struck out a career-high five and walked just one.

“I was very proud of Bailey,” Pollard said. “He gave up some soft contact. The number of hits he gave up in his outing is misleading. There was really only one line drive out of the whole mix. He had to pitch through some of our mistakes in the second and he did a good job of staying with it. He showed some toughness.”

Junior Nick Hendrix pitched 1.1 innings to earn the win. Classmate Koplove, returning to the mound for the first time since 2013, recorded a career-high three strikeouts while pitching scoreless innings in both the eighth and the ninth.

“Kenny has been very good all spring,” Pollard added. “He's really worked hard over the offseason to find himself and how he wants to sequence guys. I wasn't surprised to see him come in and throw that well.”

Cal got a run in the bottom of the first, touching Clark for four-straight singles. After Clark picked off Devin Pearson for the second out, Chris Paul delivered a two-out RBI single to score Brett Cumberland from second. Clark then struck out Grant Diede to minimize the first frame damage.

A pair of infield singles and a Duke defensive miscue plated Cal's second run in the bottom of the second, giving the Golden Bears a 2-0 lead.

Duke was able to manufacture a run in the third to trim the deficit to 2-1. Mike Rosenfeld and Koplove walked to start the frame and advanced a base following a wild pitch. A. Perez sent a sacrifice fly to right for his first RBI of the season.

Hitless the first three frames, the Duke bats broke out in the fourth. The Blue Devils put five runs on the board on five hits and three walks. Evan Dougherty led things off with Duke's first hit of the afternoon and scored on C. Perez's RBI single. A Labosky base hit and walks to Justin Bellinger and Rosenfeld loaded the bases. Koplove laced a two-run single and A. Perez drilled an RBI double to complete the Duke scoring.

Cal got a run back in the fifth as Austin Knapp tripled then scored on a Lucas Erceg RBI groundout. Clark was able to limit the damage, getting the next two batters to fly out to left and center, respectively.

The Golden Bears put together a two-out rally against Duke's bullpen in the sixth to knot the score at six-all. Pinch hitter John Soteropoulos sent a two-run homer over the wall in right to cut the deficit to just one run. Knapp beat out an infield single and advanced to third on a Duke throwing error before scoring on Pearson's RBI base knock.

After Cal regained the lead in the seventh on a Robbie Tenerowicz RBI single, Duke put crooked numbers on the board in the eighth. Cameron Neal and A. Perez both singled to get the rally started. After Dougherty was hit by a pitch, C. Perez smoked a two-run single off the Cal second baseman. Labosky and Rosenfeld followed suit with RBI base hits of their own.

Jalen Phillips added a sacrifice fly in the ninth, his second RBI of the game, to extend Duke's lead to a comfortable five runs. Koplove overcame an error to start the bottom half and struck out the final batter to wrap up the win.

Next up, the Blue Devils return to Jack Coombs Field to host the second annual Duke Baseball Classic presented by Homewood Suites by Hilton RDU/RTP. Duke's first game of the tournament is set for 3 p.m., Friday against Hartford.

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