Blue Devils, Panthers Split Saturday

Saturday, February 21

Durham, N.C.

1 p.m.

Duke University

6-1

Milwaukee

0-5

Milwaukee

Duke

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Blue Devils, Panthers Split Saturday

2/21/2026 9:18:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke and Milwaukee continued their four-game series Saturday by splitting a doubleheader at Jack Coombs Field. The Blue Devils took the first game, 10-8 in seven innings, before the Panthers captured the second, 9-6 in nine.

In the opener, Duke trailed 6-0 before storming back with 10 unanswered runs thanks to three hits and four runs batted in from RJ Hamilton as well as home runs from Cider Canon and Michael DiMartini. In the nightcap, Milwaukee outscored Duke 6-1 in the eighth and ninth for the comeback victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED: GAME ONE

Milwaukee quickly led 6-0 with two bases-loaded walks and a John Hadley grand slam in the top of the first.
Duke started the comeback with a Cider Canon two-run home run in the bottom of the first before an RJ Hamilton double plated two more in the bottom of the second.
Trailing 6-4 in the third, Duke exploded for six in the bottom of the frame to take a lead it would not relinquish. Michael DiMartini knotted the game at 6-6 with a two-run blast, his first home run of the season, out to left center. Hamilton then came through with another two-RBI hit, this time a single to left, that plated the go-ahead runs and give Duke its first lead at 8-6. Tyler Albright completed the high-scoring frame with a two-run single for a 10-6 advantage.
The Panthers tallied one in the fifth and one in the sixth to trail 10-8, but stranded two in the sixth and one in the seventh as Duke held on for the victory.
After the tough first inning on the mound, Matthew Nochowitz settled down to hold Milwaukee without a run over the next two innings before giving way to Marcello Mastroianni, who earned the win. Mastroianni improved to 2-0 after going 2.0 innings and allowing just one run on one hit with a walk and strikeout. Roman DiGiacomo came in for the final five outs and recorded the save, his first of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED: GAME TWO

After two scoreless innings, the Panthers struck first with a Dominic Kibler home run to right center in the top of the third.
Duke immediately answered with a Canon two-run single to center in the bottom of the third to go up 2-1.
Milwaukee evened the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth thanks to a Tristan Ellis single up the middle that plated Hadley. The Panthers then took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth as Max Glusick drove in Dylan O'Connell.
Trailing by one entering the bottom of the seventh, Duke regained the lead with a three-run frame thanks to Panther errors. After a walk and infield single started the inning, Jake Lambdin put down a sacrifice bunt that did not result in an out as a throwing error allowed the game-tying run to score and put runners on second and third with still no outs. Consecutive sacrifice flies from Hamilton and Canon put Duke ahead 5-3. The Blue Devils had a chance to add more as consecutive infield singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with two outs, but a strikeout ended the threat.
Milwaukee wasted little time regaining the lead as it scored four on three hits, two stolen bases, a hit batter and one Duke error in the top of the eighth to take a 7-5 lead. An O'Connell sacrifice fly evened the score at 5-5 before Charlie Marion provided the game-winning runs with a two-run single up the middle.
The Panthers added two more in the top of the ninth to lead 9-5.
In the bottom of the frame, Canon led off being hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a groundout before a strikeout ended the game.
After 4.2 innings from Ben Dean, Duke's Peter Lemke took the loss by throwing 2.1 innings and yielding three runs on two hits, two walks and three strikeouts. The combination of Caleb Anderson, Grayson Walker, Jack Feehery and David Boisvert collected the last six outs and surrendered three runs on three hits and three walks to go along with two whiffs.
Milwaukee's Sotaro Ishida picked up the win with 2.0 innings, scattering three hits and surrendering three unearned runs.

UP NEXT

Duke (6-2) and Milwaukee (1-5) finish the series Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch on ACC Network Extra.

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