Baseball Falls In Doubleheader to Duke

Saturday, February 28

Durham, N.C.

1:00 PM

Princeton University

1-4

Duke

10-2

Princeton

Duke

Tomas Cernius homered in game two.

Photo by: Steve Beasley

February 28, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

DURHAM – The Princeton Baseball Team dropped a doubleheader to the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon.

Duke 9, Princeton 2
Princeton produced the first scoring threat in the second inning as it put two in scoring position with two out, but a strikeout ended the threat. Duke put runners on second and third in the third, but James Beasley got a flyout to retire the side.

The Tigers finally broke through in the fifth as Brady Kaufman led off with a single and then came around to score on a Tommy Googins RBI triple.

Princeton 1, Duke 0 | Bottom 5@GooginsTommy rips a RBI triple to right center to put the Tigers in front!

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— Princeton Baseball (@PUTigerBaseball) February 28, 2026

A Cider Canon home run tied the game in the bottom of the frame. A Jake Lambdin sacrifice fly out the Blue Devils in front, 2-1 in the sixth.

Duke added five more runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to put the game away.

A Dylan Zdunek RBI groundout finished the scoring for the Tigers.

Joe Montembeau had three hits in the loss.

Duke 14, Princeton 4
After the Blue Devils took the lead in their first at bat, Jake Kernodle answered in the next frame with an RBI single. One batter later, Bennett Crerar blasted his second career home run to left field to put the Tigers in front, 3-1.

Princeton 3, Duke 1 | Bot 3 Another one for @bennett_crerar! He goes deep for the second straight game!

??: ACCNX pic.twitter.com/WDj1ePTA6z
— Princeton Baseball (@PUTigerBaseball) February 28, 2026

Tomas Cernius added onto the Tigers' lead one inning later.

Princeton 4, Duke 1 | Bot 3@cernius_tomas hits his first career home run to extend the Tigers' lead!

??: ACCNX pic.twitter.com/HM2NMTx4PE
— Princeton Baseball (@PUTigerBaseball) February 28, 2026

Duke got one back in the bottom of the third before answering with five in the fifth and seven in the seventh inning to finish off a 14-4 decision.

Cernius finished with two hits in the loss.

Princeton and Duke finish off the four-game series Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.