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Duke Baseball: Blue Devils fall one game short of College World Series

By Kevin Connelly

Omaha, NE - JUNE 27: A general view of a baseball on the field prior to game two of the College World Series Championship Series between the Oregon State Beavers and the Arkansas Razorbacks on June 27, 2018 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
Omaha, NE - JUNE 27: A general view of a baseball on the field prior to game two of the College World Series Championship Series between the Oregon State Beavers and the Arkansas Razorbacks on June 27, 2018 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /
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The Duke Baseball team fell one game short of the College World Series once again after dropping Game 3 of the Nashville Super Regional to the Vanderbilt Commodores.

It didn’t take long to realize how this game was going to go.

After being no hit last night and striking out 19 times, Vanderbilt picked up right where it left off and starter Mason Hickman struck out the side in the first inning.

The Commodores then broke out its big and powerful bats right away as leadoff hitter Austin Martin took Bill Chillari deep, as then Pat DeMarco blasted a three-run shot to give Vandy a 4-0 lead.

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Duke got its first hit in 11 innings in the bottom of the second off the bat of Michael Rothenberg, but that was to no avail after two straight strikeouts and a fly out ended the very slight Blue Devils threat.

Things never got better for Chillari as a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the second was all he would see on the afternoon, as Jack Carey would replace him, but it didn’t matter for Vanderbilt.

Carey was able to record one out, but after a ten pitch at bat to Martin, the future First Round MLB Draft pick took the freshman deep to left field to make it 6-0 and continue the Vanderbilt rout.

Duke would try and chip away with a solo home run from Tennessee native Rudy Maxwell, but the Vanderbilt offense would be too much to overcome on Sunday afternoon.

Vandy would ended up plating 13 runs as its offense returned to form after being silenced in the first two games of the Super Regional.

Duke would be able to get one more run across thanks to a homer off the bat of Michael Rothenberg.

A lengthy rain and lighting delay would extend the inevitable end of the Duke season, as the Blue Devils fell 13-2.

The Vanderbilt Commodores will be moving on to the College World Series to face the Louisville Cardinals in its first game in Omaha.

For the second year in a row, the Blue Devils fell one game short of making the College World Series, but while the sting of the season being over hurts now, it was an amazing and successful season for Duke, once at 3-9 in ACC play, finishing the season at 35-27.

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