No. 7 Duke Rallies to Stun No. 23 Virginia Tech

Sunday, April 21

Blacksburg, Va.

1 p.m.

Duke University

29-11, 13-8

Virginia Tech

25-12, 12-9

Duke

Virginia Tech

No. 7 Duke Rallies to Stun No. 23 Virginia Tech

4/21/2024 6:32:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes (PDF)

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Trailing 9-4 in the top of the seventh inning, No. 7 Duke (29-11, 13-8 ACC) rallied to score nine runs over the final three frames including four home runs to down No. 23 Virginia Tech (25-12, 12-9 ACC), 13-10, and earn its first series victory in Blacksburg, Va., since 2018.

The Blue Devils opened the scoring in the top of the first as AJ Gracia hit his first of two home runs in the ballgame, a two-run shot to left field. Ben Miller added to the Blue Devils lead in the top of the third, extending his hitting streak to 17 games with a solo shot to left center field.

Virginia Tech would respond with seven unanswered runs across the third through fifth innings, before extending their lead to 9-4 heading to the seventh inning.

Duke cut the Hokies lead to four thanks in part to a Miller fielder's choice to score Macon Winslow from third. Senior catcher Alex Stone followed that with his own fiedler's choice to decrease the lead to 9-6. On the first pitch of the at bat Logan Bravo crushed a three-run home run to left center field to tie the ballgame and cap off a five-run frame for the Blue Devils.

The Hokies regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh, before Duke stepped back to the plate with six outs to work with. In the top of the eighth, Wallace Clark hit a moon shot to center field to tie the ballgame at 10 runs a side.

After a scoreless frame from sophomore Owen Proksch, who improved to 3-0 on the mound, Gracia hit his second home run of the day, a solo shot to right field to give Duke its first lead since in the third inning. Later in the frame, Devin Obee sent a 2-1 hanging breaking ball off the batter's eye in center field to push Duke's lead to 13-10.

Graduate Charlie Beilenson came on in the bottom of the ninth, working a scoreless frame and striking out a pair to earn his ninth save of the season. He worked a combined five innings in relief this weekend, posting a 1-0 record on the mound with one save.

HOW IT HAPPENED

AJ Gracia hit a two-run home run to left field in the top of the first, 2-0.
Ben Miller hit a solo home run to left center field in the top of the third inning, 3-0.
Virginia Tech took the lead in the bottom of the third inning, 5-3.
The Hokies add to their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, 7-3.
In the top of the sixth inning, Devin Obee flew out to right field to score Alex Stone from third, 7-4.
Virginia Tech added a pair in the bottom of the sixth, 9-4.
In the top of the seventh inning, Miller reached on a fielder's choice to score Macon Winslow from third. Stone reached on a fielder's choice to score Miller from third. Logan Bravo hit a three-run home run to left center field, 9-9.
The Hokies take the lead in the bottom of the seventh, 10-9.
Wallace Clark hit a solo home run to center field in the top of the eighth, 10-10.
Gracia hit a solo home run to right field in the top of the ninth inning. Obee hit a two-run home run to center field, 13-10.

NOTES

With the win on Sunday at Virginia Tech, Duke clinched its fourth consecutive ACC series win and third top-25 series victory on the year.
The series victory for the Blue Devils on Sunday also marked the first win in Blacksburg, Va., since 2018.
Graduate Zac Morris extended his hitting streak to 10 games, finishing the day 2-for-5.
Freshman AJ Gracia finished the day 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI. Gracia's first home run was a two-run shot to left field. In the top of the ninth inning, Gracia hit his second home run of the day, a solo shot to right field for his 10th of the year. He is now one home run from tying the freshman single season record of 11 and one RBI shy of tying Joey Loperfido's freshman RBI record of 43.
The Blue Devils improved to 190-62 (.754) when scoring first and 207-43 (.828) when scoring three-plus runs an inning since 2016.
Graduate Ben Miller extended his hitting streak to 17 games on Saturday, hitting a solo home run to left field.
Duke used a new season high 13 pitchers in the victory over Virginia Tech on Sunday.
Graduate Charlie Beilenson collected his ninth save of the season, working the final inning in Blacksburg, Va.
Sophomore Owen Proksch improved to 3-0 on the season, working the eighth inning and striking out one batter.

QUOTES

"I am extremely proud of our competitive fight tonight. It was super sloppy for big chunks of the game. We didn't give in and were competitive and tough enough to fight through them. You have to win different ways. We had to win sloppy this weekend. The exciting thing about that is there are things that we can clean up and be better. Being able to come out of this with a series victory speaks volumes to our ability for one, because I still don't think we have played our best baseball yet and I know we didn't this weekend. You also have to be able to have the fight to stay in ballgames when you aren't playing well, being down 9-4 and fight your way back into that ballgame is pretty special." – Head coach Chris Pollard on Duke's 13-10 victory over Virginia Tech on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Duke continues a four-game road stint traveling to Buies Creek, N.C., to face off against Campbell. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. from Jim Perry Stadium.

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