Feb. 22, 2010

Game 1 / Game 2 / Game 3

Duquesne's baseball team opened the 2010 season this weekend at South Carolina and dropped three decisions to the 10th-ranked Gamecocks. Mark Tracy had a solid weekend at the plate, going 4-10 (.400) with a couple doubles and his first home run of the season.

In Friday's season opener, the Dukes dropped a 10-3 decision as an eight-run third inning put the Dukes in a hole they couldn't dig out of. Sophomores Rick Devereaux and Anthony DeFabio led the Red and Blue with two hits apiece while Devereaux launched his first home run of the season. Andrew Heck and Derek Fallecker each added an RBI. On the mound, freshman Christian Wheeler tossed four relief innings, allowing just one run while fellow frosh Sean Clark pitched an inning of scoreless ball.

On Saturday, the Dukes fell behind 8-0 after four innings en route to a 13-3 loss. Andrew Heck was 1-3 at the plate with an RBI double and Derrik Zeroski was 2-4 with two runs scored. Devereaux added an RBI and Mike Ganley scored a run.

On Sunday, the Red and Blue scored three runs in the ninth inning, but fell short with a 5-3 loss. Heck tossed the first six innings, allowing just one run while striking out three. Tracy went 2-4 with a home run in the ninth, Chris Happ was 2-4 with an RBI double in the ninth and Derrik Zeroski was 2-4 with an RBI single in the ninth. The Dukes outhit the Gamecocks, 9-8.

The Dukes' pitching staff yielded just seven walks in 24 innings of work over the weekend and the DU defense committed just three errors in their first outings on a baseball playing surface.

The Red and Blue will head to Florida on Feb. 27 where they will play eight games versus various opponents. First up is Kansas State on the 27th in Winter Haven.