CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – After playing the hero in Duke’s ACC Baseball Championship opener on Wednesday, Michael Rothenberg somehow one-upped himself on Thursday.
Rothenberg’s one-out home run in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the No. 9-seeded Blue Devils to a 3-2 win over fourth-seeded Miami, clinching the Pool D championship and sending Duke into Saturday’s 1 p.m. semifinal game.
Rothenberg, who delivered a grand slam in Wednesday’s tournament-opening win over Florida State, capped an amazing day in which he drove in all three runs for the Blue Devils after coming through with a game-tying two-run single in the bottom of the seventh.
Duke (30-20) extended its ACC-leading win streak to 10 consecutive games and further enhanced an NCAA tournament resume that has grown more vibrant throughout the final weeks of May. Miami (32-18), which also remains a prime candidate for NCAA selection despite Thursday’s loss, closes out ACC Championship play on Friday with a 3 p.m. game versus No. 5 Florida State.
With Thursday’s score knotted at 2-2, Rothenberg stepped in to face All-ACC first-team closer Carson Palmquist, who had retired four straight batters after coming on in the bottom of the eighth. Rothenberg, a switch-hitter batting right against the left-handed Palmquist, worked the count to 1-2 before sending the fourth pitch over wall in left field for his ninth home run of the season and the Duke win.
Zeroes lined both halves of the scoreboard runs column until the top of the sixth, when Christian Del Castillo and Yohandy Morales led off with back-to-back doubles to put Miami in front 1-0. Morales then took third on fielder’s choice and scored on a throwing error by Duke shortstop Ethan Murray to give the Hurricanes a two-run edge.
After mustering just two hits and three base runners through sixth innings, the Blue Devils broke through against Miami reliever Spencer Bodanza to tie the score in the bottom of the seventh. RJ Schreck led off with a single, and Peter Matt followed with a double to right center to put two runners in position for Rothenberg, who hits in Duke’s No. 5 slot.
Rothenberg rapped a single up the middle to score both runners and tie the score at 2-2.
The Blue Devils threatened for more as a double by Erickson Nichols loaded the bases, but Daniel Federman – the Hurricanes’ third pitcher of the day – coaxed Chad Knight into an inning-ending double-play grounder to short.
Marcus Johnson (5-3), who relieved Duke starter Jack Carey on the mound and allowed two hits over the final three innings, picked up the win.
