Derek Duval, Dutchmen right-handed pitcher hailing from Rotterdam and Post University, has been selected as the Week #2 Spotlight Player of the Week presented by Bellini’s Counter.
Duval sent 13 back to the dugout with a strikeout and only walked one batter through five and two-third innings pitched against the Boonville Lumberjacks on Saturday. With that performance, Duval tied the Albany Dutchmen franchise’s single-game strikeout record.
“I definitely had more time to recover, had a nice stretch before and it was a nice day,” stated Duval when asked about what led up to tying the Dutchmen’s single-game strikeout record. “My off-speed stuff was defiantly working better on the mound, and it played very well off my fastball.”
Duval recorded a 2.08 ERA in his first start at Dutchmen Field this season, getting the Dutchmen rolling to start the doubleheader against Boonville. The performance got the Dutchmen off to a good start but a three-run seventh for the Lumberjacks would be too much and the Dutchmen would drop Game One of the doubleheader, 5-3.
After tying the record, Duval is hungry for more and plans on breaking this record.
“It would always be nice to top it and break the record, not tie it,” said Duval when asked what his future stakeout goals for the season were.
Duval can’t take all the credit for his performance for his stellar start, giving well-deserved credit to his catcher Steven Nitch (Barry University).
“He called a great game, and me and him were locked in the entire game,” stated Duval when asked how Nitch affected his stellar outing. “He put a sign down and I’m shaking, I’m already starting my pitch, we were locked in and ready to go”.
