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Duke Blue Devils Baseball Falls on the Road to North Carolina, 21-8

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Baseball

The Duke baseball team dropped a 21-8 decision to North Carolina on Monday evening at Boshamer Stadium Chapel Hill, N.C.

At the plate, Duke was led by graduate student Peter Matt as he finished 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI single. Matt wrapped up the series against North Carolina batting .583 with two home runs and five RBIs.
 
Junior Cooper Stinson started on the mound for the Blue Devils. The Peachtree Corners, Ga., native allowed five earned runs on two hits and two walks in an inning of work. He struck out one batter in his time on the bump.
 
The high-scoring affair began in the first inning as Duke (13-15, 6-12 ACC) plated two runs to open the game. A solo home run by senior Joey Loperfido in the second at-bat of the game put the Blue Devils on the board before back-to-back singles by junior RJ Schreck and graduate student Peter Matt doubled the Blue Devils lead.
 
Duke found itself down 9-3 after the second inning. The Blue Devils cut the deficit in half in the top of the fourth behind a two-run home run from Wil Hoyle and an RBI single from senior Michael Rothenberg.
 
North Carolina (17-13, 11-10 ACC) scored in bunches, powered by six home runs. The Tar Heels recorded four runs in the first, five in the second, nine in the fifth and three in the sixth to score a season-high 21 runs.
 
Duke recorded back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning. Matt hit his second blast of the series before sophomore Graham Pauley sent his first career home run over the wall in right center field.
 
Out of the bullpen, junior Kyle Salley dealt two scoreless innings. He walked and struck out three during his time on the mound. His showing was just his second appearance of the season, with his last being a scoreless inning at Miami.
 
Duke is back in action on Tuesday, April 13, as the Blue Devils return to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park for a midweek matchup with Campbell. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
 
Postgame Notes:

  • Loperfido and Hoyle's home runs were both hit with a 0-0 count, making nine of Duke's 24 home runs this season hit at a 0-0 count.
  • Duke hit home runs in back-to-back at-bats for the second time this season as Matt and Pauley hit solo shots in the eighth inning.
  • Duke's four home runs in a game were the most this season and the most since against Georgia Tech on May 12, 2019.
  • Salley made his fifth consecutive scoreless relief appearance. His last run given up was in May 2019.
  • Loperfido reached base for the 20th-consecutive game.