Another Ugly Defensive Showing Drops Pack to 10-5 Record

The Wolfpack have struggled to find their form from earlier in the season that saw them rattle off two separate winning streaks of four games. They have now committed seventeen errors over their last three games, dropping the team fielding percentage from .924 to .900 on the season in the process.

This game was back and forth until walks and defensive miscues caught up with the Wolfpack in the late innings, giving the Dukes a lead that they wouldn't relinquish. The final score was 13-9.

Jaret Loran (0-1) made the start for the Wolfpack and impressed yet again as he pounded the strike zone throwing eleven out of sixteen first-pitch strikes to the batters he faced. He finally gave up his first three earned runs of the year in this, his third appeareance of 2018, while striking out two and walking one through two and two thirds on the mound, he allowed five hits. Michael Goldade (1-1) was saddled with his first loss of the year as he struggled to consistently find the strike zone after entering the game in relief of Loran.

Offensively the bats stayed hot for the Pack but just weren't able to overcome the walks and unearned runs provided to the Dukes. Blake Carruthers and Fraser Amrstrong both recorded multiple hits as their perrennial battle for the Silver Slugger award continues to heat up. Roly Diaz provided a bases loaded triple that tied him with Carruthers and Carlos Charmell for second on the club in RBI (13). The Wolfpack Rookie of The Year vote is going to come down to the wire this year as Brendan Roworth and Roly Diaz have been jockeying for position offensively all year, but with the emergence of Jaret Loran on the mound, there is now another name to keep an eye on as the 2018 playoffs approach.

The annual Longhorns Stampede Invitational tournament kicks off for the Wolfpack this Saturday, July 14th at 9am.