Box Score DURHAM, N.C. – The West Virginia University baseball team fell to Duke, 2-1, on Tuesday afternoon at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
 
Trailing by a run, the Mountaineers created multiple scoring opportunities in the late innings but couldn't find a breakthrough. The squad finished with five hits on the day, while holding the Blue Devils to just four.
 
Freshman right-handed pitcher Chris Sleeper took the loss for WVU, dropping his record to 1-2 on the year, while Duke's Cooper Stinson earned the win.
 
"It was a well-pitched game on both sides," WVU coach Randy Mazey said. "Opportunities were hard to come by, and they took advantage of theirs. I didn't think we had bad at-bats with the game on the line, it just didn't work out."
 
After Sleeper breezed through his first three innings of work, the Mountaineers (9-6) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, thanks to a solo home run off the bat of freshman Grant Hussey. The big fly marked the Washington, West Virginia, native's team-leading fourth of the year.
 
However, Duke (10-7) answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead and knock Sleeper out of the game. The Henrietta, New York, native logged 3.2 innings of work, allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 71 pitches.
 
With the bases loaded in the fourth, fifth-year senior right-hander Trey Braithwaite entered to tally an inning-ending strikeout to halt the rally. From there, Braithwaite stayed on to pitch a 1-2-3 fifth and sixth.
 
The Winchester, Virginia, native faced the minimum through 2.1 innings, striking out three without allowing a hit or run.
 
Looking for a big inning, WVU loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh. But a pair of strikeouts and a fly out to deep center spoiled the chances for the visitors in the frame.
 
West Virginia threatened again in the eighth, getting runners to second and third with two outs, but the Blue Devils again turned the Mountaineers away to maintain their lead.
 
WVU went in order in the ninth to end the game.
 
Along with Braithwaite, junior right-hander Jacob Watters also was effective in two innings of relief. Of note, Duke didn't register a base hit after the fourth inning.
 
Freshman infielder JJ Wetherholt led the way offensively with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, while Hussey's homer drove in the squad's lone run.
 
Up next, WVU meets High Point on Wednesday afternoon in High Point, North Carolina. First pitch at Williard Stadium is set for 4 p.m. ET.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.