Hokies can't hold on to lead in rubber match vs No. 7 Duke

By Bradley Winterling

Staff Writer

April 21, 2024

BLACKSBURG — No. 7 Duke (29-11, 13-8 ACC) prevailed in an offensive battle against No. 23 Virginia Tech (25-12, 12-9) on Sunday afternoon, taking the rubber match of the series, 13-10.

Despite an impressive performance from the bats with nine hits and 10 runs, Tech was unable to get the job done for the series win. 

“We gave up 13 runs at home on a Sunday,” Tech head coach John Szefc said postgame. “That’s the reason [things went awry]. If you score 10 runs in a game, certainly at home, you should win.”

The Hokies had a 7-3 lead after five innings, and a 9-4 lead through six. 

“I mean it’s pretty tough right now,” Tech center fielder Ben Watson said. “We thought we had the series there about halfway through the game but, you know, stuff happens. It’ll suck today, the rest of the day, and tonight, but [we] just gotta move on.”

“It’s the game of baseball, it’s tough,” Tech right fielder Eddie Micheletti Jr. said. “This is the hardest game to play. But I think, you know, sometimes we left some meat on the table. I think I left some meat on the table too. You know, getting away from my approach or sitting on the wrong pitch. And sometimes that happens, but I also think I gotta be smarter at the plate as well, along with everyone else.”

Duke took a 3-0 lead after a first inning two-run shot from A.J. Garcia, who hit two out of the park Sunday, and also a home run from Ben Miller in the third. 

Tech answered in the bottom of the third with a five run inning. Watson and Chris Cannizzaro each hit RBI singles. Then, with the bases loaded and two outs, Gehrig Ebel hit a ground ball that resulted in a throwing error, bringing in two more runners. Sam Tackett got the final hit of the inning, singling to right and bringing home Tech's fifth run. 

The Hokies scored two more times in the fifth, getting out to a 7-3 lead that was later diminished by the Blue Devils. Micheletti hit a solo shot down the left field line, and Ebel later scored on a wild pitch. 

Micheletti finished the day 2-of-4 with 2 RBIs. 

“I thought I had a good weekend,” Micheletti said. “It’s not always pretty, you know, you get the job done. It’s tough, especially against those guys.”

After two more runs from the Hokies and one from Duke, Tech led 9-4 going into the seventh inning. 

In the final three frames, Duke scored nine runs and Tech scored just one. Five of those nine runs for the Devils came in the seventh. Three runs came from a Logan Bravo three-run shot to tie the game up at nine. 

Tech almost answered big time in the bottom of the inning, loading up the bases with just one out. First, Watson lined out to the shortstop. Then, with two outs, Tackett scored on a wild pitch, but that was all the Hokies could do in the frame. 

Duke scored one run in the eighth with a Wallace Clark solo shot, and then hit two more homers in the top of the ninth. The latter was Gracia’s second of the day, and the other was a two-run shot by Devin Obee off the wall of the batter’s eye. 

It was a rough day for Tech’s bullpen, giving up nine runs and eight hits. 

“It’s tough man,” Szefc said. “It’s a top 10 team in the country and they just wear you out, so you have to have a lot of bullets and we used about all the bullets we have, and it wasn’t good enough.”

The Hokies now turn the page to George Mason, who they’ll host at English Field on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra. 

The schedule won’t get any easier for Tech after facing the Patriots, as it will travel down to Chapel Hill to face off against No. 11 North Carolina in a three game series over the weekend. 

“I think our talent’s there,” Micheletti said. “I think we have a very, very talented team, it’s the best team I’ve ever played on. And I think this league is the hardest league to play in. You know, it’s not the SEC where it’s just all talent shining. 

“You gotta do the little things right [in the ACC]. If you make one small mistake, it can lead into a big mistake here. So, just kind of attention to detail, doing everything right, every small thing right, and I think it’ll add up to the big wins here.”