By Duke Athletics

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. 

Source: wralsportsfan.com