Northwestern Wildcats Swept by No. 17 Duke as Pitchers Struggle

Northwestern has fallen back down to .500 after a hot start.

May 26, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils infielder Ben Miller (34) celebrates the final out of the eighth inning against the Florida State Seminoles during the ACC Baseball Tournament at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Entering the weekend, the Wildcats were off to their best start to a season since 2003.

After winning five consecutive games, Northwestern lost on a walk-off to Indiana last Monday, but NU's 5-2 record was still substantially better than the previous two seasons. The 2024 campaign began 1-5 in Ben Greenspan's first year as the head coach, while Northwestern started 0-12 in 2023.

In Durham, the Wildcats were competitive despite facing a nationally ranked Duke team. On Friday, NU took a 4-3 lead into the fifth inning, but gave up 11 combined runs over the next two before eventually falling, 14-5.

Wake Forest graduate transfer Crawford Wade bounced back after giving up three earned runs in the first by striking out five batters, but four members of the Wildcats' bullpen struggled to keep No. 17 Duke's bats in check. The 11 runs over the fifth and sixth innings came on nine hits and six walks, then Jack Grunkemeyer closed the game with 2 1/3 innings of one-hit ball.

The next day, Northwestern was even closer to victory. The Wildcats led 4-1 after two innings and 4-3 into the seventh. However, the Blue Devils didn't stay down forever and earned three runs off of Vanderbilt transfer Sam Hliboki over the final two innings.

The 'Cats rallied with a two-out RBI single from Owen McElfatrick in the ninth and got runners on second and third, but LSU transfer Ryan Kucherak struck out looking as the Wildcats fell, 6-5.

Following the late-inning heroics, Duke closed out the sweep in style by hitting a three-run homer and a grand slam in the first inning on Sunday. The Blue Devils won the third game by the score of 11-2, closing out a weekend in which they outscored the Wildcats, 31-12.

To the team's credit, the Wildcats kept Duke close late in the game in two of the three outings. Both of Northwestern's starters, Wade and Matthew Kouser, exited their outings with the 'Cats holding the lead, while the bullpen game on Sunday was disastrous from the start.

Nonetheless, the Blue Devils are a good team and 5-5 Northwestern has plenty of the season to go. The Wildcats will head to The Citadel next weekend to attempt to rebound, then host Illinois State before beginning Big Ten play.