On the heels of a 3-1 weekend in the Tarheel State, Northwestern returned to North Carolina for a series against No. 17 Duke.
The Wildcats (5-5, 0-0 Big Ten) suffered their first series sweep of the season at the hands of the Blue Devils (7-5, 0-0 ACC).
Graduate student left-hander Crawford Wade struggled early in game one, as Duke plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
But the offense was prepared to back him up.
NU tallied five hits in the top of the second frame. Three consecutive hits from junior outfielder Jack Lausch, sophomore infielder Jack Counsell and senior outfielder Preston Knott scored four runs to retake the lead.
The Blue Devil offense capitalized on NU pitching woes after scoreless third and fourth innings. In the bottom of the fifth, Duke outfielder Ben Rounds homered to center field and Duke utility player Sam Harris doubled, scoring two runs and taking a 5-4 lead.
The hosts stamped together a nine-run sixth inning on five hits and six walks to take a 10-run lead.
The ’Cats plated one in the eighth inning, but they never threatened a comeback as the Blue Devils took the first game 14-5.
Game two began with a notable omission. Sophomore right-hander Garrett Shearer, who has been the go-to game two starter throughout the early season, was scratched from his scheduled outing. Freshman right-hander Matthew Kouser got the nod instead.
Kouser filled in nicely, tossing five innings — three of which were scoreless — and allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts.
The ’Cats scored two runs in the top of the first inning by way of sophomore outfielder Jackson Freeman’s first home run of the season. The Blue Devils responded with a solo-shot in the bottom of the frame, but Kouser settled in following a Knott home run that plated two in the subsequent inning.
Kouser tossed scoreless third and fourth frames, maintaining a 4-1 NU lead heading into the fifth.
The Blue Devils got the best of NU’s young ball hurler in the bottom of the fifth, though, scoring two runs off a double to cut the deficit to one. Duke took the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, after a two RBI single from infielder Ben Miller, and extended it by one in the eighth frame.
Junior infielder Owen McElfatrick singled in the top of the ninth to add another run to the tally, but the offense failed to keep the game alive, as it etched its first losing weekend of the season in stone.
Looking to avoid a sweep, the ’Cats looked to freshman left-hander Carter Danz to start their final game, though he didn’t last long.
NU got on the board in the first inning after sophomore infielder Ryan Kucherak walked to score a run.
The ’Cats’ pitching staff couldn’t keep up. After walking the first two Duke batters, Danz allowed a three-run home run to right center field. Danz allowed two more base runners before freshman right-hander Jack Grunkemeyer took over.
Grunkemeyer didn’t find much success either, as he conceded a grand slam to give the Blue Devils a 7-1 lead. The ’Cats had to turn to a third arm in graduate student left-hander Blake MacMillan to get out of the first frame. MacMillan proved reliable in his appearance, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings.
Neither team added to the scoring total until the seventh inning, where Duke plated four runs to take a ten-run lead.
NU responded with a run in the following frame, but the deficit was far too difficult to overcome, resulting in a Blue Devil series sweep over the ’Cats for the second consecutive season.
NU will return to the diamond on Friday against The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.
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