DURHAM, N.C. – With offense continuing to be at a premium in the baseball team's season-opening series against nationally-ranked Duke, the host Blue Devils made the most of just three hits against four Cornell pitchers to hold on for a 2-0 victory over the Big Red on Saturday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
 
Freshman Spencer Edwards was terrific in his collegiate debut for Cornell (0-2), working five innings with seven strikeouts. He surrendered just one run in his final inning of work, aided by an attempted sacrifice bunt that turned into an infield hit. Edwards then escaped trouble and stranded two runners in scoring position to end his outing, keeping the Big Red's deficit at just one.
 
Cooper Stinson earned the win for 16th-ranked Duke (5-1), which recorded its fourth consecutive shutout. He pitched six shutout innings before his offense plated an insurance run in the seventh.
 
The Big Red's best scoring threat then came in the eighth after Russell hit a one-out single in front of a diving left fielder for his second single of the day. Freshman Alexander Steigerwald then drew a walk to put two on, but a fly out and strikeout ended the threat.
 
Freshman Joe Hollerbach took a ball to the base of the left field wall in the ninth inning against Duke closer Thomas Girard, but Cornell would get no closer.
 
The teams are scheduled to meet for the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday back at DBAP.