DURHAM, N.C. — No. 17-ranked Duke (3-3) scored 11 unanswered runs between the fifth and eighth innings to extend its three-run lead and secure a 16-2 victory against the Cornell baseball team (1-1) at Jack Coombs Field on Saturday afternoon.
AJ Gracia led the Blue Devils' offense by driving in four runs on a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Wallace Clark also contributed three hits for Duke, scoring three runs and hitting two doubles.
Gracia was one of four Duke hitters who drove in multiple runs, along with Sam Harris (three), Ben Rounds and Ben Miller (two each).
In his second start of the season, Duke right-handed pitcher Ryan Higgins struck out seven Big Red hitters over 4.1 innings pitched. Yale transfer Reid Easterly was credited with the win, scattering two hits over his 1.2 innings of relief.
Senior designated hitter
Kyle Musser drove in the Big Red's lone runs on the day with a two-run single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning. Six different Cornell players recorded hits in the setback.
Junior left-handed pitcher
Noah Keller was saddled with the loss for the Big Red after allowing five runs on six hits over 2.2 innings of work.
Duke jumped out to a 5-0 lead by scoring runs in each of the first three innings. Gracia drove in half of his RBI total with a pair of singles in the first two innings. Rounds, a graduate transfer from Harvard, doubled home two runs as part of a three-run second inning. Jake Berger, who also transferred to Duke from Harvard, hit a one-out solo home run in the third to cap the Blue Devils' first batch of unanswered runs.
Cornell trimmed Duke's lead in the fifth inning on a two-run single by Musser with the bases loaded and one out.
Duke tallied 11 unanswered runs between the fifth and eighth innings to take a 16-2 lead.
Cornell threatened to score in the ninth inning when junior infielder
TJ Swidorski hit a pinch-hit single, setting up a four-pitch walk drawn by senior two-way player
Ryan Porter. An infield single from sophomore third baseman
Luke Johnson loaded the bases, but Duke's Collins Black managed to strike out the next two batters, preventing the Big Red from scoring.
GAME NOTES
• Saturday was the 21st all-time meeting between Cornell and Duke as the Blue Devils upped its lead in the series to 14-6-1.
• With his fourth-inning single, Jensen extended his hit streak to 20 games, dating back to last season. It is the Big Red's longest hitting streak dating back to 2003.
• Freshman
Mason Barela made his collegiate debut, pinch-hitting for sophomore second baseman
Owen Carlson in the ninth inning. Barela struck out as part of Black's trio of ninth-inning strikeouts.
• Joining Barela in making his collegiate debut on Saturday was freshman right-handed pitcher
John Hegarty, who allowed three runs on two hits while walking two and striking out a team-high three batters in one-plus innings of relief.
UP NEXT
Cornell and Duke will play the rubber match of this weekend's three-game series at Jack Coombs Field on Sunday afternoon.
First pitch is scheduled for noon, with Cornell senior right-hander
Chris Ellison expected to make his first start since his freshman season in 2022. Duke will counter with southpaw James Tallon (0-1, 16.20 ERA). Game action will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra, accessible through ESPN+ with a cable subscription.
