DURHAM, N.C. – In a historic feat Tuesday, William & Mary baseball (23-10, 6-3 CAA) earned a win over No. 6/7 Duke (24-9, 9-6 ACC) for the highest-ranked victory in program history, defeating the Blue Devils, 4-2, on their home turf.

The midweek win also improved the Tribe's record on the season to 23-10, tying the program's best record through 33 games to match that of the 2004 season. This record-tying mark follows just 10 games after the Tribe's program-record-setting 17-6 start through 23 games, as Head Coach Mike McRae continues to lead his 2024 squad to new heights.

A pair of home runs from freshman Trey Christman and grad student Henry Jackson lifted the Tribe to an early lead, and seven shutout innings with only a pair of runs allowed in another strong pitching performance quelled one of the most potent offensive lineups in the nation. 

Before Tuesday, only three teams had managed 12 or more strikeouts against the Blue Devils in 2024. With a 12-strikeout performance on the road, the Tribe became the fourth, joining a trio of Duke's ACC opponents in then-No. 1 Wake Forest, then-No. 10 Clemson and Miami.

Nate Knowles made his 12^th start of the year and earned the win to improve to 5-0, and Mark Hindy was credited with his first save on the year. Travis Garnett and Brendan Kelly were the other two Tribe arms to make an appearance in Sunday's contest, 

Wasting no time getting on base, Jerry Barnes III lined just the second pitch of the game into left field for a leadoff double. The host team worked a scoreless first inning before scratching across the first run of the contest in the bottom of the frame.

Jackson led off the second inning with a walk and Luca Trigiani singled to left to put a pair on for Christman. The third baseman, who belted his first career homer just a game earlier, sent a three-run bomb to left field off Duke's starter, Tim Noone. Noone had only given up one home run in his 12 outings on the year.

Also tallying his second homer in Green & Gold, Jackson smashed a solo shot to left to add the Tribe's fourth run in the third inning for a 4-1 ballgame. With the team's 38^th and 39^th home runs, the pair joined the multi-home run club, marking 10 Tribe players with two or more on the year.

Knowles didn't allow a hit in the third inning, striking out a pair, and ended his outing with a quick 1-2-3 frame, retiring the side in just eight pitches.

Garnett entered the game in relief and tossed a scoreless fifth inning. In the sixth, the final run of the game was able to cross on an RBI single, but not before Garnett recorded his second strikeout. 

Kelly followed out of the bullpen with two outs in the bottom of the sixth as he got centerfielder Devin Obee to chase, stranding a pair with the team's seventh punchout of the day.

Three runners were stranded in the eighth inning as Hindy worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam with a quick strikeout looking and a fly out to Ben Parker at the warning track in center field.

Making every out count, the Tribe stranded 12 Duke runners on base and turned a pair of double plays for the third time in the last four games. 

Hindy closed the game, ending his night with just three hits over 3.0 scoreless innings and five strikeouts. With one on and one out in the ninth, Hindy retired the tying run at the plate twice with a three-pitch strikeout and a first-pitch groundout to slam the door on the Tribe's historic victory.
 
Up Next
The Tribe will look to extend their win streak as they play host to North Carolina A&T on Friday-Sunday, April 12-14 for just the second conference series of 2024 at home. The series will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday at Plumeri Park.
 
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