Duke Drops Series Opener at Virginia, 9-3

Friday, April 23

Charlottesville, Va.

4 P.M.

Duke University

17-17, 8-14

Virginia

18-18, 10-15

Duke

Virginia

Duke Drops Series Opener at Virginia, 9-3

4/23/2021 8:41:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score Season Stats Coach Pollard Postgame

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Duke baseball team dropped the opener of a three-game ACC series at Virginia, 9-3, on Friday evening at Davenport Field.

Tied at 2-2 midway through the fourth inning, Virginia broke through for a six-run bottom of the frame to separate the two sides. The Blue Devils were unfortunately never able to recover.

Despite totaling nine hits throughout the contest, Duke's offense came primarily from the longball as the Blue Devils recorded three solo home runs. Senior Michael Rothenberg led the Blue Devils at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and two RBIs. Junior RJ Schreck also recorded a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-3 with two singles and a hit by pitch.

Graduate student Richard Brereton served as the starter for the Blue Devils on the mound. Brereton allowed two runs, both earned, on four hits and a walk in 1.2 innings of work. A native of Darien, Conn., Brereton also fanned three during his time on the hill.

Duke (17-17, 8-14 ACC) saw hosts Virginia (18-18, 10-15 ACC) jump out to a 2-0 lead, scoring in each of the first two innings. The Blue Devils would get on the board in the third after senior Chris Crabtree hit a line drive home run to left center on the first pitch of the inning to cut Virginia's lead in half.

Duke tied the game in the top of the fourth with another leadoff home run via the bat of Rothenberg. The Boca Raton, Fla., native circled the pillows after taking a pitch over the left field stands for his fourth long ball of the year. The Cavaliers responded in the bottom half though, adding six runs on five hits to retake the lead at 8-2.

During Rothenberg's next at bat in the sixth inning, the senior hit his second home run of the game and fifth of the year to cut into the deficit at 8-3. The Blue Devils threatened again in the eighth inning, as Schreck and graduate student Peter Matt hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with no outs, but Duke was unable to bring them home.

Virginia southpaw Andrew Abbott earned the win, improving to 4-5 on the season, after allowing three runs on seven hits in seven innings pitched. Abbott recorded 14 strikeouts in the contest.

Duke utilized six arms out of the bullpen throughout the game. Freshman Nick Conte was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs in 0.1 innings.

Senior Josh Nifong stabilized the game out of the bullpen, putting together a strong showing to limit the Cavaliers' offense. The High Point, N.C., native allowed just one hit and two walks in three scoreless innings pitched. Nifong also struck out two during his time on the bump.

Duke returns to action on Saturday as the Blue Devils and Cavaliers take the field for Game 2 of the three-game series in Charlottesville. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m., adjusted from the previously scheduled 4 p.m. due to the expectation of inclement weather.

Postgame Notes:

Crabtree's home run to lead off the third inning was his fifth of the season.
Rothenberg hit two home runs in the contest, joining Matt as the only Blue Devils to hit multiple home runs in a single game this season.
Rothenberg's longballs in consecutive at-bats in the same game was the first time a Blue Devil has done so since Kennie Taylor accomplished the task at Georgia Tech on May 17, 2018 (two-run shot in the second before a solo home run in the fourth inning).
Nifong's three innings pitched were his longest outing in relief this season.
Loperfido singled through the left side in the third inning to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, the longest of any Blue Devil this season.
Loperfido reached base for the 26th consecutive game.

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