Duke Suffers Setback to North Carolina, 11-5

Sunday, April 11

Chapel Hill, N.C.

12 P.M.

Duke University

13-14, 0

North Carolina

16-13, 0

Duke

North Carolina

Duke Suffers Setback to North Carolina, 11-5

4/11/2021 4:19:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score Season Stats Coach Pollard Postgame

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Duke baseball team fell to North Carolina, 11-5, on Sunday afternoon in game two of the three-game series at Boshamer Stadium Chapel Hill, N.C.

The Blue Devils and Tar Heels were knotted at 5-5 after the fifth inning. The score remained tied until North Carolina recorded six runs on five hits in the bottom of the eighth to win, 11-5.

At the plate, Duke was led by junior Ethan Murray, going 2-for-4 with a season-high three RBIs. Graduate student Peter Matt finished 2-for-4, scoring two runs with strong base running.

Junior Jack Carey made his eighth start for Duke this season, allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits in five innings of work. A native of Summit, N.J., Carey added five strikeouts to just one walk in his time on the hill.

Duke (13-14, 6-11 ACC) broke open the scoring in the second frame as the Blue Devils strung together three hits to plate two runs. Matt led off with a single and scored from first on a double to right center from Murray. Sophomore Chad Knight drove in Murray with a single to left field.

North Carolina (16-13, 10-10 ACC) responded in the third inning, scoring two of their own to level the game at 2-2.

The Blue Devils retook the lead in the fourth before extending their lead in the fifth. Senior Joey Loperfido singled through the right side with bases loaded in the fourth frame to hand Duke the lead. In the next inning, Matt, graduate student Chase Cheek and Murray singled in consecutive at bats to score two and extend Duke's lead to 5-2.

The hosts scored the game's final nine runs, three in the fifth and six in the eighth, to earn the win.

Senior Matt Dockman came out of the bullpen for the Blue Devils. Dockman allowed just one hit and one walk in 2.1 scoreless innings of work. The Hilliard, Ohio, native added four strikeouts while on the mound. Dockman's outing was his fifth straight scoreless appearance through 11 innings pitched.

Duke and North Carolina will play the rubber game for the series on Monday at 6 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

Postgame Notes:

Murray finished with three RBIs, a season high and one short of his career-high mark of four done twice.
Rothenberg was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning, bringing his career total to 30 and tied for 10th in program history.
Dockman made his fifth consecutive scoreless appearance. His 11 scoreless innings in relief are the most by a Duke pitcher this season.
Loperfido reached base for the 19th straight game, thanks to an RBI single in the fourth inning.

#GoDuke