McAfee Gem, Labosky Homer Lift Duke Past Wake Forest

Sunday, March 27

Winston-Salem, N.C.

1:00 PM

Duke University

Wake Forest

McAfee Gem, Labosky Homer Lift Duke Past Wake Forest

3/27/2016 4:45:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Duke Sports Information

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Graduate student Brian McAfee turned a quality start, sophomore Jack Labosky homer and freshman Chris Proctor came up with a key hit late to help Duke to a 3-2 win over Wake Forest in the series finale Sunday afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark.

McAfee (3-2) registered his third quality start and third win of the season. The Bothell, Wash., native threw seven innings while allowing two runs on nine hits. McAfee made key pitches all day, fanning four and walking just one.

“He's been a really stabilizing force for us on Sundays,” said head coach Chris Pollard. “We needed a shot in the arm today and he pitched great. Credit [McAfee] for giving us the type of start that allowed us to stay in the ballgame.”

Duke's defense remained solid behind McAfee, turning two double plays, successfully defending a fourth-inning double steal attempt to get the runner at home and submitting in nine errorless innings overall.

Labosky went 2-for-4 at the plate, scoring Duke's first two runs while launching his second home run of the season with one out in the sixth.

“Jack's first at bat was a really great job of staying back on a breaking ball,” Pollard said. “He also sent a really good message the way he ran the bases. He was on-time with a first pitch fastball there in the sixth. He didn't miss it. That was really good to see.”

Freshman Jimmy Herron reached base in three of his four plate appearances after being hit by a pitch in the first and drawing two walks.

For the second straight game, Duke was able to take an early lead. The Blue Devils loaded the bases following three consecutive second-inning singles before Wake Forest starter Drew Loepprich (2-1) hit freshman Kennie Taylor to bring home a run.

Loepprich exited after the second inning. He allowed just the one run on three hits while walking one, hitting two batters and striking out one in the loss. Reliever John McCarron took over to start the third and retired 10 of the first 11 Blue Devil batters he faced before Labosky's sixth-inning solo shot.

McAfee put five scoreless innings on the board before Wake Forest benefitted from a Ben Breazeale two-out RBI single to center field. McAfee ended the threat, getting Stuart Fairchild looking to strand a pair.

The Blue Devils then countered with a third run, utilizing a fielding error by center fielder Fairchild. Fairchild dropped a Justin Bellinger fly ball to lead off the seventh and Proctor later delivered the two-out RBI base hit.

“You could make an argument that the only difference between today's ballgame and yesterday's ballgame was that two-out hit,” Pollard added. We got the hit today. We needed to have an answer and it was really big for Chris to have the answer there with two outs.”

After back-to-back singles in the bottom of the eighth ended McAfee's outing, Ryan Day came on in relief and struck out 2015 ACC Player of the Year Will Craig and James Ziemba got Ben Breazeale looking for the second out. Fairchild came up with an RBI single to cut the lead to 3-2 before Mitch Stallings induced a bases-loaded grounder to third to end the threat.

“I'm really proud of the job our bullpen did in that situation,” Pollard said. “They executed some really tough pitches to the toughest part of [Wake Forest's] lineup. [Ryan Day's strikeout] was one of the biggest outs we've had all season. Trying to snap a six-game losing streak, facing the reigning ACC Player of the Year at the plate with runners on first and second with nobody out and a 3-1 count. [Day] was able to execute right there and get the strikeout. James Ziemba then executed a 3-2 slider. Just showed a lot of guts.”

Stallings stayed on in the ninth and struck out two to earn his fourth career save and first this season.

Duke is set to host Liberty Tuesday, March 29 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park before traveling to Georgia Tech Friday-Sunday, April 1-3.

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