Life in the Valley

Duke Sophomore Drives in 5 as Blue Devils Take Command

Much of Murray State’s success this season has come about because of the team factor. Contributions from up and down the lineup. Starters and relievers combining to give the Racers a chance to win.

But sometimes, in baseball, like any other team sport, the performance of one player turns a game on its head. Saturday was just such a game, and Kyle Johnson turned in just such a performance.

The 2-way standout from Leesburg, Va., (your fearless writer’s hometown) went 4-for-4 Saturday, scoring twice, homering, hitting 2 doubles, and driving in 5 runs to lead Duke to a 7-4 victory over Murray State in the first game of the Durham Super Regional. The teams meet again today at 11 a.m. Central. With a win, Duke (42-19) advances to its first College World Series since 1961. Murray State (42-15) must win today and again tomorrow to go to Omaha for the first time in school history.

But before Johnson could win the game for Blue Devils, he had to get them back into it. Murray State took a 2-0 lead in the 3rd on Dom Decker’s single that scored Jonathan Hogart. After Jake Berger walked to lead off the Duke 3rd, Johnson crushed a homer to center to tie the game. On three occasions, a Blue Devils’ leadoff walk led to a run. Racers pitchers walked 8 in the game and hit 2 others, betraying an effort that held an excellent Duke lineup to just 6 hits. At one point, Murray State was outhitting Duke, 6-2, but trailing on the scoreboard, 5-2.

Johnson wasn’t done. Starting in place of the suspended A.J. Gracia (who is eligible to return today), Johnson doubled to left in the 4th, bringing home Macon Winslow and Tyler Albright as Duke took a 4-2 lead. Berger later scored on a wild pitch by Nic Schutte, and it was 5-2 Blue Devils after 4.

Ini the 6th, Johnson doubled again, this time to right, scoring Winslow. Johnson came around on Ben Rounds’ double as Duke took control, 7-2. Johnson finished his perfect day with a single to left in the 8th.

Murray State’s best rally came in the 7th, when Hogart walked, Dustin Mercer singled, and Carson Garner walked to load the bases with 0 outs. Duke head coach Chris Pollard called on ace receiver Reid Easterly. He allowed 2 inherited runners to score, one on Decker’s single and another on Luke Mistone’s sac fly. But Will Vierling flied out and Dan Tauken struck out to end the threat with the Racers still down, 7-4.

Easterly got the Racers 1-2-3 in the 8th, but gave up a leadoff single to Mercer in the 9th. Any comeback hopes were quickly quashed, however, as Garner grounded into a double play and Decker lined out to end the game.

Decker had 4 hits in the loss. Schutte went 4 innings, allowing 5 runs on 2 hits with 5 walks and 3 strikeouts, throwing 88 pitches. Dylan Zentko (44 pitches) and Reese Oakley (39) finished up. Oakley threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings with 1 hit and 2 strikeouts.

Duke starter Owen Proksch held things together through early trouble, eventually going 5 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts. Proksch threw 115 pitches but never wavered. Easterly went 3 innings, with 2 hits, 2 strikeouts, 0 walks, and 0 charged earned runs. He got 9 outs on just 31 pitches (3.44 pitches per out – the equivalent of a 93-pitch 9-inning complete game), so the 3 innings don’t necessarily eliminate him from pitching today if Duke needs him.

Issac Silva likely gets the ball for the Racers today, trying to save Murray State’s incredible season. One positive is that reliever Graham Kelham didn’t work in Game 1, so he should be available for multiple innings when called upon today. Ideally, if Silva can go 6, Kelham could wrap it up. Offensively, the Racers need more than singles. Murray State had 9 hits Saturday – all singles. In 57 games this season, 37.8% of the Racers’ hits have been for extra bases.

Notes: Johnson had 3 doubles entering Saturday. He’s also pitched 38 1/3 innings this season with 39 strikeouts. During an in-game interview with ESPNU, Pollard called Johnson the best 2-way player in the country. … Despite the loss, Murray State went over 1,000 total bases for the season (1,006). … With 3 runs today, the Racers will reach 500 this season. … Duke 3B Ben Miller, who had been questionable with an arm injury relating to being hit by a pitch in the Athens Regional, started, but went 0-for-5. … Beyond Johnson, Duke’s lineup was just 2-for-25 (.080) in the game.

Elsewhere: The first bid for the College World Series has been clinched, as Coastal Carolina won the Auburn Super Regional, sweeping the Tigers. Coastal makes its return to Omaha after winning the national championship in 2016. It beat Arizona for the title. If the Wildcats advance past North Carolina in today’s Game 3 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional, the Chanticleers and Wildcats would meet in the first round in Omaha.

Ed Morgans is the founder of MVCBaseball.com. An Evansville graduate, Ed has written about and broadcast college baseball, while following the sport for 40 years.