UNCW pounds Duke, looms as potential Gamecocks opponent – The State

In a smaller conference, UNC-Wilmington’s offense was one of the most prolific in college baseball.

Turns out the Seahawks can mash power conference pitching just the same.

UNCW faced a Duke team Friday playing its first NCAA Tournament game since 1961 at Founders Park and made the Blue Devils look out of practice at the South Carolina Regional. The Seahawks plated six in the second inning and five in the third en route to a 11-1 win and at meeting with the winner of South Carolina-Rhode Island on Saturday.

“Offensively, one thing we were able to do today, is similar to what we’ve been able to do a lot of days this year, and that’s bunch quality at-bats together and put multiple runs on the board,” said UNCW coach Mark Scalf, whose team came in averaging nine runs a game.

Brian Mims led the Seahawks (40-17) with five RBIs on a pair of hits. They did their damage with three doubles and no other extra-base hits, despite No. 3 and 4 hitters Gavin Stupienski and Nick Feight (34 combined home runs) going 2-for-7 with one RBI.

UNCW is in its fourth regional in five years, facing a team more than a half century removed from its last trip. Blue Devils (33-23) ace Brian McAfee was charged with eight runs in his two innings, while his counterpart, Ryan Foster, tossed a complete-game eight hitter, inducing an avalanche of soft ground balls.

“We got punched in the mouth pretty good by a very, very good UNC-Wilmington offense,” Duke coach Chris Pollard said. “Tip my hat to coach Scalf, his guys swung the bat very well.

“Over the last five innings of the ballgame, we played OK, but we had dug ourselves a very big hole.”