CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The No. 6-seeded Duke Blue Devils and No. 10-seeded Virginia Tech Hokies combined for eight extra-base hits, including five home runs, as the No. 17 nationally ranked Blue Devils defeated the Hokies 11-8 in the nightcap of day one of the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship at Truist Field in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Led by two home runs and five RBI from lead-off hitter Zac Morris, the Blue Devils offense was efficient with 11 runs on 11 hits. Morris, who was 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored, was joined by two hits apiece from Ben Miller, Alex Stone and Logan Bravo. Bravo and Chase Krewson each finished with two RBI apiece in the win.
Virginia Tech’s offense had five players with one hit each, led by a three-run home run from third baseman Carson DeMartini and three more RBI from designated hitter David McCann on a two-run home run and a sacrifice fly.
The win went to Duke reliever James Tallon (2-0), who entered the game in the second inning and held the Hokies to one run on one hit and one strikeout over 1.2 innings of relief. All-ACC relief pitcher Charlie Beilenson (12) earned the three-inning save, surrendering two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out six Hokie hitters. The save was his league-leading 12th of the season.
The two teams traded big innings early in the contest, as Virginia Tech posted five runs in the top of the second, highlighted by a three-run home run from DeMartini, only to see Duke answer in the bottom half of the third inning with six runs, headlined by a three-run home run of its own off the bat of Morris to put the Blue Devils in front 6-5 after three innings of play.
The Hokies attempted to tie the score up in the top of the fifth inning, as a lead-off walk to DeMartini and a sacrifice bunt by Clay Grady put a runner on second with one out. Ben Watson then laced a single through the left side, but DeMartini was thrown out at home plate by Duke left fielder Kewson to halt the Virginia Tech inning and keep the Blue Devils on top by one.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Blue Devils returned to the long ball, as Stone blasted a solo home run to left field to push Duke’s lead out to two at 7-5 heading into the sixth frame.
One inning later, Duke’s Morris struck again, belting his second home run of the game deep into the night over the left field wall, a two-run shot, to add to the Blue Devils’ lead at 9-5 with three innings to play.
Virginia Tech tried to chip away at Duke’s lead, getting one run back on a walk, single, and sacrifice fly to put the score at 9-6 heading into the seventh-inning stretch, only to see the Blue Devils answer with two runs in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI double by Bravo and a run-scoring single from Wallace Clark to push the score to 11-6.
The home runs continued in the top of the eighth, as VT’s McCann blasted a two-run home run over the stands in right field to put the visitors back within three runs at 11-8 midway through the eighth inning.
Beilenson sent the Hokies down in order in the top of the ninth to seal the win for the Blue Devils.
Virginia Tech (32-21) will turn around to play No. 3-seeded NC State on Wednesday at 7 p.m., while Duke (36-18) will wait to take on the Wolfpack on Thursday, May 23, at 7 p.m.
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