CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes edged the defending ACC champion Duke Blue Devils 5-4 on Saturday night to even their three-game home series. As the sun set beyond the outfield wall at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field, 2,989 fans took in the tense matchup under the South Florida sky.
Starter AJ Ciscar and relievers Alex Giroux and Brian Walters combined to throw nine innings for Miami, allowing seven hits, three earned runs, three walks, and seven strikeouts.
Ciscar threw 74 pitches, 46 for strikes, before handing it off to Walters, who earned the win and improved to 4-1.
“Ciscar battled. He was cruising pretty good through the first few innings. Then, probably the second time through the order, they started getting some base hits here and there. But he continued to make good pitches—just wasn’t getting great results. Proud of the freshman. He continued to throw strikes, only walked one guy,” said Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga in the postgame interview with World Baseball Network.
On Friday, Griffin Hugus struggled in Miami’s 13-3 series-opening loss to Duke but welcomed the bounce-back performance from his teammates the next night.
“I think these guys just came out today excited to be here, excited to play baseball during this long home stretch. We’re all just happy to be back in the sunny weather, getting to play every day. It’s pretty cool just to be out here with the guys,” said RHP Griffin Hugus following the game to WBN.
Hugus dropped to 4-4 on the season on April 11 and threw 3.1 innings, allowing six hits, five earned runs, three walks, and two strikeouts. After burning through seven relievers Friday, Miami leaned on just three arms Saturday—and got exactly what they needed.
Blue Devils head coach Chris Pollard’s staff used starter Andrew Healy and reliever Gabe Nard, who combined for eight innings, nine hits, four earned runs, two walks, and nine strikeouts.
Healy threw 84 pitches, 56 for strikes. Nard dropped to 5-2 on the season.
In the bottom of the second, Miami’s offense sparked when Derek Williams launched a 364-foot solo home run down the left field line—his eighth of the year.
We have liftoff 🚀🔥 pic.twitter.com/ppacbJj2zi
— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) April 12, 2025
A few moments later, Max Galvin drew a two-out walk. Todd Hudson followed with a ground ball single through the right side, scoring Dorian Gonzalez Jr. and Galvin to make it 3-0.
In the third, Daniel Cuvet crushed a solo home run over the left-center wall, his sixth of the year, giving Miami a 4-0 lead.
Cuvie crushed that one 👏 pic.twitter.com/UCdsctf0Ly
— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) April 12, 2025
Duke responded in the fourth. Ben Rounds hit an RBI single to right, scoring Ben Miller to cut the deficit to 4-1. Then Macon Winslow reached on a ball up the middle that Gonzalez fielded and flipped to Jake Ogden for the force at second. Tyler Albright scored to make it 4-2. Duke trimmed the lead to one after Ogden misplayed a sinking liner in left-center, allowing Jake Hyde to score.
In the fifth, Albright drove in AJ Gracia with a single to left-center, tying the game 4-4.
Miami retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Galvin delivered an RBI single to center, scoring Tanner Smith to make it 5-4.
CANES REGAIN THE LEAD! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/hLXvzLgWmq
— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) April 13, 2025
“Those guys are awesome. Just seeing how they handle their business every day, come out here and be consistent—it’s really cool. I think that rubs off on the younger guys too. Even the guys not in the lineup get to watch them and learn,” RHP Griffin Hugus told World Baseball Network after the game.
Walters entered in the eighth and retired all six batters he faced, striking out Duke shortstop Wallace Clark to end the game and even the series at one game apiece.
Duke left six men on base in the loss.
Clemson leads the ACC with a 33-5 record (11-3 in-conference). Miami improved to 19-17 overall and 5-9 in the ACC, tied with Pittsburgh for ninth place.
Duke sits at 9-8 in the ACC, tied for seventh with Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, and now holds a 24-13 overall record.
Miami and Duke will wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT at Mark Light Field.
The 2025 ACC Championship will be held May 20-25 in Durham, N.C., at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
D1Baseball.com has six ACC teams in its Top 25: Virginia Tech (No. 25), Georgia Tech (No. 18), North Carolina (No. 16), Louisville (No. 14), Florida State (No. 9), and Clemson (No. 4).
World Baseball Network ranks Clemson at No. 3, North Carolina at No. 7, Florida State at No. 10, Wake Forest at No. 18, Georgia Tech at No. 19, and Louisville at No. 25.
Stats to Watch Heading Into Sunday’s Finale
Miami Spotlight Players
Derek Williams leads the Hurricanes with eight home runs and is batting .345 through 35 starts, adding 40 hits, 11 doubles, 21 RBI, and 27 strikeouts.
Jake Ogden is hitting .338 with 47 hits, five doubles, and three home runs in 36 starts. He’s driven in 21 runs and drawn 17 walks.
Daniel Cuvet enters Sunday’s finale hitting .316 with 43 hits, six home runs, and a team-high 40 RBI across 35 games.
Duke Spotlight Players
Ben Miller is slugging .344 with 15 home runs, 52 hits, and 45 RBI in 37 starts, along with eight doubles and 14 walks.
Tyler Albright is batting .333 with five homers, three triples, and 44 hits, while reaching base via 28 walks.
Wallace Clark holds a .288 average with 36 hits, seven doubles, and 36 walks in 35 starts.
MLBPipeline.com Top 100 Draft ACC Prospects
No. 3 – LHP, Jamie Arnold – Florida State University
No. 13 – C, Luke Stevenson – University of North Carolina
No. 15 – OF, Cam Cannarella – Clemson University
No. 16 – SS, Marek Houston – Wake Forest University
No. 23 – OF, Ethan Conrad – Wake Forest University
No. 31 – 2B, Henry Godbout – University of Virginia
No. 32 – 1B, Henry Ford – University of Virginia
No. 40 – OF, Kane Kepley – University of North Carolina
No. 62 – RHP, Patrick Forbes – University of Louisville
No. 81 – LHP, Joe Ariola – Wake Forest University
No. 90 – RHP, Cam Leiter – Florida State University
