In a tightly contested battle, Duke’s pitching staff proved to be the difference as they defeated Clemson 3-2 in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Five Duke pitchers combined to limit the Tigers to only two runs on 20 baserunners, as they improved to 12-6 overall and 2-2 in the ACC.
The Blue Devils took an early lead in the first inning when Riley Bertram drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs to score Cooper Ingle, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single. Clemson responded in the fourth inning when Nathan Hall’s ground ball found a hole in the infield to drive in a run and double their lead.
However, Duke fought back in the fifth inning as Andrew Fischer led off with a homer to put them on the scoreboard. Later in the inning with two outs, Giovanni DiGiacomo hit an opposite-field, two-run homer to give Duke the lead.
Duke’s pitching staff then shut down Clemson’s offense for the remainder of the game. Charlie Beilenson earned the win in relief by tossing 1.1 scoreless innings, while James Tallon pitched the final 1.2 innings to record his third save of the year. Tiger starter Austin Gordon suffered the loss, despite giving up only four hits and no walks in a career-high 6.0 innings pitched.
The victory was a significant one for Duke, who took a 1-0 lead in the series and snapped Clemson’s six-game winning streak. With the win, Duke looks to build on their momentum as they continue ACC play, while Clemson will look to bounce back in the second game of the doubleheader.
Overall, it was a well-fought battle between two competitive teams, and Duke’s pitching staff ultimately proved to be the difference in securing the victory.
