2/10/2002 - Baseball
Broadway Leads Duke To 8-4 Win Over Mids
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DURHAM, N.C.-All-American candidate Larry Broadway drove in five runs as Duke (2-1) defeated Navy (1-2), 8-4, Sunday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field in Durham. The win gave the Blue Devils the series win after the two teams split a doubleheader on Saturday.
"Duke played well today, they threw three really good pitchers at us, three of the better pitchers we will see all year. We had some breakdowns today on defense and on the mound that cost us a chance of winning."
Navy jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning as freshman shortstop Matt Lukevics led off with a double to left and Jason Guidos singled to right to score Lukevics. Freshman designated hitter Dean Farmer drove in Guidos with a fielder's choice and Jake Miller doubled in Farmer.
The Devils came back to score two in the bottom of the third on a two-run double by Broadway, scoring Brian Patrick, who had singled, and Bryan Smith, who had reached on an error by left fielder Craig Candeto.
Duke put the game away by scoring three unearned runs in the fifth off reliever Jeff Lange and two earned runs off Bryan Koehler in the sixth. Lukevics' error with one out and no one on in the fifth opened the floodgates as Broadway drove in a run with a single and Aaron Kempster drove in two runs with a base hit to center. Broadway's two-run double in the sixth off Koehler made it 7-3.
Navy did get a run back in the top of the seventh on a home run to right field by Brian Whitten, but the Blue Devils closed out the scoring in the bottom of the seventh on a double to left by Tim Layden off Navy reliever Zach Poelma.
Navy did threaten in both the eighth and ninth innings but couldn't score. In the eighth, Farmer led off with a base hit and, with one out, Neil Brubeck walked. John Cocca fouled out for the second out of the inning and Dominic Nicolini grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
In the ninth, Chris Ashinhurst and Brian Whitten drew one out walks, but Candeto grounded into a fielder's choice, forcing Whitten out at second, and Farmer struck out to end the game.
Farmer and Whitten led Navy with two hits apiece, while Candeto (double), Miller (double), Lukevics (double) and Whitten (home run) all had extra-base hits. Matt Foster gave Navy its third straight good outing from a starting pitcher, giving up two runs, one earned, on four hits in four innings of work.
Despite losing two out of the three games to Duke, Navy head coach Steve Whitmyer had many things to be pleased about. Navy starting pitchers allowed just three earned runs in 12 innings of work (2.25 ERA) and the Navy offense cracked four home runs after hitting just 17 all of last year. Freshman shortstop Matt Lukevics had a hit and scored a run in every game (two doubles and a single), while freshman designated hitter Dean Farmer went 3-9 with three runs scored and two runs batted in. Farmer hit a home run in his first collegiate at-bat on Saturday.
"I think this is a much better first weekend of the season than last year (when Navy was swept handily by Virginia in three games)," said Whitmyer. "Duke is a much improved team and has a chance to be a contender in the ACC this season."
Navy travels to Old Dominion next weekend to take on the Monarchs in a doubleheader on Saturday (1 p.m.) and a single game on Sunday (1 p.m.).
