Duke Baseball: Blue Devils able to salvage final game of a horrific week

The Duke Baseball team was able to salvage it is final game of the week and its final game of its three game series with Georgia Tech after a very disappointing week.

The last time the Duke Baseball team had a very important week like this the Blue Devils went 4-0 with a win over Texas Tech and then a three game sweep over Clemson on the road.

Things were quite different this week as the Blue Devils hosted Liberty and then a three game series with Georgia Tech.

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Liberty set the tone for the week on Wednesday, scoring nine runs in a 9-3 victory over the Blue Devils. Liberty scored five runs in the first two innings of the game.

The only Duke pitchers not to allow a run on Wednesday afternoon were Jack Carey, Al Pesto, and Matt Mervis.

After the loss the Blue Devils had to turn its attention to the No. 7 team in the country, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and its powerful lineup.

It didn’t take long for the Yellow Jackets to assert themselves on Friday night in Durham, scoring two runs in the first inning which led to 14 runs coming into score for Georgia Tech.

Every pitcher that entered the game for the Blue Devils allowed a run except for Kyle Salley who recorded the final two outs of the game.

Duke would try to make a comeback in the game, down by as many as seven runs, the Blue Devils would score seven runs over the final four innings, but it would not be enough since the Yellow Jackets were able to plate four runs of its own. The Blue Devils dropped the first game of the series 14-10.

The second game of the series on Saturday afternoon was much worse. The Yellow Jackets hot bats continued, the Duke pitching continued to scuffle and it was a bad recipe for the Blue Devils.

Despite Duke scoring the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning, Georgia Tech would outscore the Blue Devils 15-1 over the final eight innings to win the game 15-3.

All Duke pitchers that entered the game allowed at least two runs except for Al Pesto. Eli Herrick allowed two runs in the game, but they were both unearned.

The Blue Devils were able to register 13 hits in the game, but only three runs.

Duke would try to salvage something of its week on Sunday, Senior Day and Mother’s Day, honoring the mother’s of the program and its six seniors; Kennie Taylor, Aaron Therian, Al Pesto, Hunter Davis, Kyle Gallagher, and Ben Gross.

The Yellow Jackets got the first run of the game in the first inning, but the Blue Devils would respond on a 3-run homer by Michael Rothenberg in the bottom half of the inning.

Georgia Tech would respond, tying the game with two runs in the third inning and the teams would trade a run a piece in the fourth, but Duke would score the next six runs of the game leading to the 10-4 victory.

Bryce Jarvis (4-0) picked up the win and Matt Dockman and Thomas Girard were excellent in relief.

In addition to Rothenberg, Erikson Nichols, Joey Loperfido, and Kennie Taylor all hit a home run as the Blue Devils’ record now sits at 29-21 and 14-13 in the ACC.

Prior to this week, Duke appeared to be on the safe side of the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, but the Blue Devils may have let a chance to firmly cement its place in the tournament slip through its fingers this week.

With work still to be done, there is one more week of the regular season before the ACC Tournament. Duke will hit the road for its last four games of the season, starting with a rematch with Liberty on Wednesday, followed by a three game series against Miami starting on Friday.

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