1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
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Virginia Tech (19-24) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
Duke (24-18) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 6 | 1 |
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
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Virginia Tech (20-24) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 9 | 1 |
Duke (24-19) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
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DURHAM, N.C. – The Virginia Tech baseball team used an eight-run sixth inning and a quality start from freshman starting pitcher Packy Naughton to register an 11-3 victory over the Duke Blue Devils in the final game of a three-game ACC series on Sunday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field.
Naughton tossed six scoreless frames and allowed just three hits and struck out four to improve to 2-1 on the season. Of note, he became just the third Tech freshman pitcher to win an ACC start and the first since 2009.
The other two pitchers to accomplish the feat were Justin Wright (did it twice in 2008 – vs. Miami on May 10 and vs. Duke on May 16) and Mathew Price (did it twice in 2009 – vs. Georgia Tech on March 21 and at Maryland on April 12). Price and Naughton are the only two to get a win on the road and their starts were almost identical (click on the date for each game to see that day’s box score).
The Hokies got out to a 3-0 lead after four innings thanks to a sacrifice fly by Saige Jenco in the third that scored Andrew Mogg and a two-run fifth with Brendon Hayden driving home Alex Perez with a double and Sean Keselica plating Hayden.
Tech blew the game wide-open in the sixth with a one-out rally. Seven straight Hokies reached base, which included four by walks and a hit by pitch. Perez and Erik Payne each had two-RBI singles in the frame as everyone but Payne scored in the inning.
Duke would plate two unearned runs in the eighth and a harmless run in the ninth to account for its scoring off the Tech bullpen.
The day started with the resumption of Saturday’s game that was suspended after the top of the seventh frame. A recap to this point, Duke had taken a 4-1 lead after six full frames with the Hokies only run an RBI single by Jenco in the second.
Tech, though, mounted a rally in the top of the seventh when both Perez and Payne drew one-out walks. A batter later, Hayden smacked a ball off the centerfield wall for a two-run double, which cut the team’s deficit to 4-3. And the conclusion of the top half of the inning, the game was halted.
After Aaron McGarity started the day with a perfect frame (bottom seventh), the Hokies threatened with a two-out rally – Ryan Tufts was hit by a pitch and Jenco singled to left.
Duke (24-19, 7-16 ACC0 brought in its closer Kenny Koplove and he closed the door, getting the final four outs of the game to pick up his ninth save of the year for Dillon Haviland, who improved to 2-1. Keselica’s record dropped to 4-3 with the loss.
Tech (20-24, 9-14 ACC) takes a day off before welcoming Appalachian State to English Field on Tuesday for a midweek, nonconference game starting at 5:30 p.m.
For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Baseball