Racers pound Duke 19-9 to force Super Regional game 3 today

Dustin Mercer had four hits, Dom Decker and Will Verling drove in four runs apiece and Murray State pounded Duke 19-9 on Sunday to force a deciding third game in the Durham Super Regional.

Four players scored three times and two scored twice as the Racers (43-15) scored 10-plus runs for the seventh time in 11 games. Jonathan Hogart, Carson Garner, Dan Tauken and Connor Cunningham had home runs.

Murray State took a 10-3 lead with a five-run fourth inning. The Blue Devils (40-20) got back in the game with five runs in the sixth, but a nine-run seventh broke it open for the Racers.

Isaac Silva (8-2) went 5 1/3 innings, giving up six runs for Murray State and Graham Kelham gave up a hit and a run over the final three innings for his seventh save.

The deciding game is Monday at Duke’s Jack Coombs Field. Game time is 6 p.m. on an ESPN channel to be determined.

Duke’s last College World Series appearance was in 1961, and Murray State has never made it there.



(Photo David Eaton/MSU Athletics)