DURHAM, NC- The home run bit the Tribe in a 7-0 loss to Duke Tuesday evening in Durham. Five different Blue Devils homered, four were solo shots. 
 
Starter Owen Pierce was saddled with the loss, striking out four and allowing two runs in 2.0 innings. Tom Mayer struck out three, walked zero, and allowed just three hits over his 4.0 innings of work. Rojo Prarie struck out a pair and allowed just one hit in a scoreless seventh inning. Cole Ragone had a pair of singles for his seventh multi-hit game of the season. 
 
Duke would jump on the Tribe starter in the first as Andrew Fischer hit a solo homer with one out in the opening frame. A double and a single from the Blue Devils would score another run to make it 2-0. 
 
The teams would trade scoreless frames as Mayer retired the first six men he faced before Duke struck again in the bottom half of the fifth. Blue Devil shortstop Alex Mooney deposited a 1-0 pitch over the wall in center to give Duke a three-run lead. MJ Metz made it 4-0 with a solo homer of his own to start the Duke sixth. 
 
William & Mary threatened with a pair of hits in the fifth and again in the seventh, but could not push a run across. After a shutdown inning from Prarie in the seventh, Duke would benefit from homers from Damon Lux and Cole Hebbie to make it 7-0. 
 
Up Next: The Tribe will return to the Tar Heel State this weekend for three games against CAA newcomer NC A&T. William & Mary and the Aggies will begin the three-game set Friday evening in Greensboro.