Feb. 22, 2009

Box Score

DURHAM, NC - La Salle Baseball closed out its four-game series at Duke with an 11-1 defeat to the Blue Devils, as Duke scored four first-inning runs and cruised to the victory on Sunday at Jack Coombs Field.

Duke (3-1) - for the second straight game - opened the first with back-to-back walks - and with one out loaded the bases with another one. All three of those base runners came around to score - two of them unearned - as the Blue Devils plated four runs in the first.

They added a single run in the second, fifth and sixth, before putting two runs across in both the seventh and eighth innings. Seven of the 11 batters that drew walks in the contest would come around to score.

The Explorers had their chances in the contest, equaling the Blue Devils eight hits and also drawing five walks of their own, but Duke, who led the nation in fielding percentage in 2008, turned a double play in each of the first three innings to end any Explorer threats.

La Salle (1-3) avoided the shutout with a run in the ninth inning. Rick Gehman drew a one-out walk and scored on John Malloy's two-out double to right field.

Will Currier won the game for Duke, while TJ Chism was saddled with the loss.

The Explorers will be off this week before travelling to Kentucky next weekend for another four-game series with the Morehead State Eagles. There are single games Friday (3 PM) and Sunday (12 PM) and a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 PM.