DURHAM, N.C. – The Milwaukee baseball team opened its weekend series with Duke at Jack Coombs Field, dropping the series opener to the Blue Devils.
 
Dylan O'Connell and Bradyn Horn each had multi-hit games for the Panthers, with O'Connell belting a two-run home run in the fifth inning.
 
Tyler Albright and Trevor Johnson each had a team-best three RBIs for the Blue Devils, while Duke starter Aidan Weaver threw five strong innings with nine strikeouts, allowing only O'Connell's home run.
 
"Duke was the better team in every phase of the game," said head coach Shaun Wegner. "It starts with me, and I did not have the team properly focused and energized to compete today. We will make sure that doesn't happen again tomorrow."
 
"Weaver commanded the ball well and was able to keep our hitters off balance, especially with his changeup," Wegner added. "When you face a Friday night arm from a Power Four conference, you have to take advantage of mistakes, and we didn't do a good enough job of that tonight."
 
Duke's offense faced off against four Milwaukee pitchers, drawing seven walks and recording a season-high 13 hits in the 20-3 final.
 
"Between the untimely errors and free passes we committed, it's almost impossible to beat anyone, let alone a program the caliber of Duke," Wegner said. "We need to do a better job controlling the zone and making plays when we have opportunities. We are seeing the early-season blunders, and we need to mature quickly because this game doesn't wait for you to be ready."
 
Milwaukee and Duke will play a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, with the first pitch of game one set for 12:00 p.m. (CT) at Jack Coombs Field.