Duke Rolls Past Appalachian State on Tuesday

Tuesday, April 15

Durham, N.C.

6 p.m.

Duke University

25-14

Appalachian State

19-17

Appalachian State

Duke

Duke Rolls Past Appalachian State on Tuesday

4/15/2025 10:17:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes (PDF)

DURHAM, N.C. – A seven-run third inning catapulted the Blue Devils (25-14) to an 8-4 victory over Appalachian State (19-17) on Tuesday evening at Jack Coombs Field.

After the Mountaineers scratched across two runs in the top of the third inning, Duke went to work with one out. The Blue Devils sent 10 batters to the plate, recording seven consecutive hits to jump ahead on the scoreboard 7-2.

Sam Harris opened the scoring for Duke with a solo home run to right field before Jake Berger doubled to right. Wallace Clark singled, and AJ Gracia doubled to the gap to score a pair. Ben Miller, Tyler Albright, and Jake Hyde went single, double, and home run to extend the lead to 7-2.

Hyde collected his second hit of the ballgame in the bottom of the seventh inning, doubling to left center field to score Miller, 8-2. The Blue Devils bullpen went to work, covering the final six innings of the ballgame, allowing four hits, two runs, and striking out 11 of the 14 total Mountaineers retired by strikes.

Graduate transfer Gavin Brown earned the win in a split start, working a perfect inning on the mound in just eight pitches. It was his first victory in a Blue Devils uniform.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Appalachian State opened the scoring in the top of the third inning, 2-0.
In the bottom of the third, Sam Harris hit a solo home run to right field. AJ Gracia doubled to left center field to score a pair. Tyler Albright doubled to right field to score Gracia. Jake Hyde hit a three-run home run to right field, 7-2.
Duke added to the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Hyde doubled to left center field to score Ben Miller, 8-2.
The Mountaineers cut into the lead in the top of the eighth inning, 8-3.
Appalachian State scored a run in the top of the ninth inning, 8-4.

NOTES

The Blue Devils scored seven runs in the bottom of the third inning and batted around for the 10th time this season. The seven-run frame was the first since March 2nd against Northwestern.
Duke improved to 234-52 (.818) when scoring three-plus runs in an inning on Tuesday since 2016.
Graduate Gavin Brown recorded his first victory in a Blue Devils uniform, working one inning in relief with a strikeout. Brown was efficient using just eight pitches to retire the side.
Eight of Duke's nine starters registered a hit against the Mountaineers, while all nine reached base safely. Senior Wallace Clark and sophomore AJ Gracia led the way with three hits each.
The Blue Devils pitching staff punched out 14 Mountaineers en route to a victory Tuesday, issuing three walks.
Sophomore catcher Macon Winslow extended his hitting streak to seven games, finishing the day 1-for-4.
Sophomore Kyle Johnson had an electric start to the ballgame on the mound, recording two perfect innings and striking out three batters. Johnson used 16 pitches in his outing. Earlier today Johnson was tabbed to the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Watch List.

QUOTES

"I thought we pitched really well tonight. Kyle Johnson looked the best he has all year and is rounding into form. I thought we had a great response in the third and continued to pitch well from that point forward, but we left a lot of guys on base and our situational approach wasn't where it needed to be. That ballgame should have been over in seven innings if we had a good situational approach in the fourth and seventh." – Head coach Chris Pollard on his overall thoughts on the victory Tuesday.
"That is our sport to a degree, but I think that is heightened by the fact we live in a social media age. These guys have so many expectations thrown on them and that is hard to play with. Both of those guys played with Team USA this summer, they are preseason All-Americans and that is a lot of pressure. That is real. Both of those guys have had to play their way to the other side of that. I have had good conversations with both of those guys, and they are better off going through this and turning into a better player when you get to the other side of this. You see it in all levels of our sport and guys try to do too much because of the expectations." – On AJ Gracia and Kyle Johnson rounding into form here down the stretch.
"I am really proud of Gavin Brown. He has continued to carve out a bigger role for himself as the year has gone on. He has overcome some injuries to be in the position he is in and now has climbed his way into the regular mix and taken advantage of the opportunities. It's cool to see." – On Gavin Brown's ability to continue to be the same guy every day despite battling adversity.