Two undefeated squads took to Jack Coombs Field in Durham, North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon as Liberty faced No. 12 Duke. The Blue Devils would be the only one to leave the ballpark Wednesday still unbeaten, as they knocked off the Flames, 4-2.
The Blue Devils were coming off three-games in Conway, South Carolina as part of the Baseball at the Beach event. The ACC squad defeated Indiana (6-3), George Mason (23-5), and No. 18 Coastal Carolina (5-3) to open the season at 3-0.
Chris Pollard, in his 12th season at Duke and 25th as a college baseball head coach, has led the Blue Devils to a 342-255 record. Under his watch, the Blue Devils have made five regional trips and three Super Regional appearances.
The Flames got on the board first, plating a run off Duke starter Tim Noone in the top of the second. After a one-out double, Cam Troyer came around to score the first run of the game on a two-out double by Brian McClellin, giving Liberty the 1-0 lead.
Duke would take the lead in the bottom of the third off Nick Moran as the first five batters reached base in the frame. Ben Miller had an RBI double to get the scoring started while Logan Bravo plated two with his single that found the space between Liberty’s third baseman and shortstop to help the home team to the 3-1 lead. Moran would battle back with two strikeouts and a popout to end the Devils’ threat in the third.
Making his first appearance and start of the 2024 season, Moran pitched three plus innings, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out four, and hitting two batters. He would pick up the loss in the defeat. Last season, Moran posted a 1-2 record with a 6.35 ERA over five starts and 22.2 innings before having his season cut short by injury. He struck out 24 and walked nine.
Ryan Butler would come on in relief of Moran in the fourth after the Liberty starter gave up a leadoff double. Butler would hit a batter and then surrender an RBI single, as the Duke lead stretched to 4-1. The Flames would then get a much needed double play, with the flyout to right field and Troyer who threw out the runner at the plate attempting to score.
Liberty’s bats were quieted throughout much of the game after scoring the one run in the second. 14 Flames were retired in order as the team failed to put a runner on base from the 3rd through the 6th inning. It wasn’t until a one-out Noah Rabon that this streak was ended. He would come around to score on a Troyer groundout to the pitcher, bringing the deficit to 4-2 entering the stretch, but that would be all the damage the Flames would do.
The Flames’ bullpen would combine to toss five scoreless innings while allowing just four hits. Following one inning of relief from Butler, Talor Grubbs pitched 2.2 innings before Trey Cooper closed the game with 1.1 innings of relief.
This was the first of two meetings between the Flames and Blue Devils this season. The teams will square off later in the year in Lynchburg at Liberty Baseball Stadium on April 2. Leading the all-time series now, 16-14, LU had won five straight in the series before Duke won the last meeting between the two teams, 7-3, in Lynchburg. Now, the Blue Devils have won two straight against the Flames.
The Flames will return home this weekend for a three-game series. Liberty takes on Hofstra beginning Friday at 4 p.m. with Saturday’s game scheduled for a 2 p.m. first pitch and Sunday slated to begin at 1 p.m.
