NO. 12 DUKE BEATS NO. 19 VIRGINIA TECH 3-1 TO AVOID SERIES SWEEP

Nick Cheshire

April 5, 2021

DURHAM N.C. — After dropping the first three games of the series, No. 12 Duke salvaged the fourth and final game with a 3-1 victory over No. 19 Virginia Tech to break an uncharacteristic five-game losing streak.

Duke (27-6, 15-6 ACC) took down one of the premier pitchers not only in the ACC, but in the country in Keely Rochard (18-3, 1.11 ERA), who took just her third loss in twenty starts for Virginia Tech (23-6, 16-6 ACC).

The Blue Devils struck first in the bottom of the second thanks to some strategic small-ball style baserunning that capitalized on a pair of walks from Rochard. After a walk to Caroline Jacobsen, who then stole second, another walk put Kelly Torres on as Jacobsen advanced to third on ball four, which was a wild pitch.

As Mackenzie Lawter threw the ball back to Rochard, Torres attempted to steal second and Rochard picked her off, but Jacobsen scored while the Hokies were preoccupied at second with the heads-up baserunning play, giving Duke an early 1-0 advantage.

Rochard wasn’t the only ace on the mound though, as Shelby Walters (11-2, 0.94 ERA) got the nod for the Blue Devils and looked solid for five and two-thirds, good enough to earn her eleventh win of the year.

She bent but didn’t break, giving up eight hits but only allowing the one earned run, a solo-home run from Lawter to tie the game at one in the top of the fifth. Lawter led the Hokies at the plate, going 2-4 and driving in the only Virginia Tech run of the afternoon.

It wasn’t long before Duke retook the lead, and in the bottom of the fifth, a walk and base hit put two runners in scoring position for the Blue Devils. Deja Davis converted with a perfectly placed single into right field that just squeezed between Jayme Bailey and Addy Greene.

Peyton St. George, the other half of the impressive 1-2 pitching punch from Duke, relieved Walters with two down in the sixth and breezed through the final four outs to record her first save of the season.

Duke will travel to Tallahassee on Friday for a four-game weekend series with Florida State while Virginia Tech returns home on Wednesday for a doubleheader against Longwood.