Season-High 17 Hits Powers Duke Past Wofford, 9-6

Tuesday, May 11

Durham, N.C.

6 P.M.

Duke University

21-20

Wofford

30-17

Wofford

Duke

Season-High 17 Hits Powers Duke Past Wofford, 9-6

5/11/2021 11:20:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score Season Stats Coach Pollard Postgame

DURHAM – Junior Ethan Murray matched his career-high of four hits while leading the Duke baseball team to a 9-6 victory over Wofford on Tuesday night at Jack Coombs Field.

Duke tallied 17 hits in the contest to match its season high. After not scoring in the first inning, the Blue Devils scored in six consecutive innings to win the game. Murray's career-high-matching four hits and three RBIs led Duke at the plate. Seniors Joey Loperfido and Michael Rothenberg each recorded three hits in their outings, with Rothenberg adding a home run and two RBIs.

Graduate student Richard Brereton earned his first win on the mound while at Duke, putting in 2.1 innings of work in a predetermined staff day. Brereton allowed two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out one.

Wofford (30-17) took an early lead in the first inning, plating two runs for a 2-0 lead. Duke (21-20) wouldn't trail for long, scoring one in the bottom of the second before adding three more in the third. Rothenberg's solo home run scored the lone run in the second inning. In the third inning, four doubles from Loperfido, junior Ethan Murray, junior RJ Schreck and Rothenberg scored four runs to give Duke a 4-2 advantage.

The Blue Devils added another run in the fourth inning as Murray drove in his third run of the day with an RBI single to score sophomore Chad Knight from second. The Terriers responded with two runs of their own in the next frame, cutting into the Duke lead, 6-4.

Duke scored once in the bottom of the fifth via an RBI single from graduate student Erikson Nichols scored classmate Peter Matt. However, the Terriers would respond again in the top of the sixth, plating two more to pull the game within one, 7-6.

With a one-run advantage, Duke added runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh to seal the win over Wofford.

Sophomores Jimmy Loper and Marcus Johnson closed the game for Duke as Loper pitched a perfect eighth inning, facing the minimum three batters. Johnson threw the ninth to clinch the win and earn his third save of the season, allowing a leadoff hit before striking out the side.

Duke returns to action on Friday as the Blue Devils take on Virginia Tech in game one of a three-game ACC series at Jack Coombs Field.

Postgame Notes:

Rothenberg recorded his 22^nd home run in his Duke career to move to 14^th in Duke history. His long ball came off the bat at 105 mph and traveled 377 feet.
Murray's three RBIs matched his season high.
Loperfido has now recorded a hit in 19 of his last 20 games.

#GoDuke