April 23, 2005

DURHAM, N.C. - In a game played in the rain from almost start to finish, Duke got into some late-inning trouble and the offense could not solve left-hander Andrew Miller as the Blue Devils fell to 12th-ranked North Carolina by a 10-1 score. Cody Wheeler knocked in the lone Duke run and senior right-hander Greg Burke took the loss. Javier Socorro continued to be hot, going 2-for-4 and scoring a run.

Duke started the way it needed to against Miller, with Javier Socorro leading off the game by drawing a walk on an 11-pitch at-bat, but Adam Murray followed by grounding into a 1-6-3 double play and Brett Bartles' groundout ended the inning.

After the Tar Heels got one in the bottom of the first, the Blue Devils got a one-out baserunner when Eric Baumann was hit by a pitch, but John Berger grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Both teams went scoreless in the second and in the bottom of the third, the Tar Heels loaded the bases with one out. Burke bore down and struck out Chad Flack and got Mike Daniel to hit a slow bouncer halfway between the plate and the mound, but it settled in the wet grass and catcher Bryan Smith could not make the bare-handed play and a run crossed the plate. The next batter flied out to center, but the Tar Heels had a 2-0 lead.

Duke cut the deficit in half in the top of the fourth. Socorro led off with a single to center and after Murray struck out, Bartles singled to right and Socorro went to third, with the help of an error by right-fielder Jay Cox. Cody Wheeler then singled to left, plating Socorro. Baumann then took a walk to load the bases with one out, but Berger and Bryan Smith both struck out to end the threat with Duke down, 2-1.

After Burke got the tar Heels in order in the fourth, Duke squandered an opportunity to tie it in the fifth. Kyle Silver led off with a single and headed to second on a passed ball. Senterrio Landrum dropped down a sacrifice bunt that sent Silver to third, but Socorro's sharp grounder to third could not push him across. Murray then drew a two-out walk and then swiped second, but Bartles went down looking to end the inning.

North Carolina widened the margin in the bottom of the sixth. After Burke struck out Mike Daniel, he allowed back-to-back singles. The next batter, Cox, sent a hit to right where Wheeler fielded it on a hop, but then slipped in the wet grass. The freshman was slow to get up and get ball back in and two runs scored. Wheeler was injured on the play and was replaced by Corey Whiting. After a throwing error by Silver, the Tar Heels added another run with a sacrifice fly and took a 5-1 lead to the seventh.

Jonathan Anderson relieved Burke in the seventh and after a single, Chad Flack sent a home run to center to give UNC a 7-1 lead. After an error by Berger at first, Anderson gave up two more hits and eventually gave way to Ryan Perry. Perry inherited two runners, one of which scored, and Carolina had jumped out to 10-1 lead.

Duke got a pair of two-out walks in the eighth, but could not push anyone across. Perry set the Heels down in order in the eighth and Duke got two men on in the ninth with two out but that was it.

Duke (12-28, 3-16 ACC) will take on Carolina (31-8-1, 12-4-1 ACC) again tomorrow. Left-hander David Torcise will take the hill for 2 p.m. start.