Duke edges Virginia in first game of super regional
Blue Devils are one win shy of reaching Omaha after late-inning rally and final out at the wall
Duke is a win away from reaching the College World Series by a few feet.
But they’re all outs in the book, including Jake Gelof’s drive to the wall that ended the game.
Duke beat Virginia 5-4 on Friday at Disharoon Park, the Blue Devils taking an early lead, falling behind in the sixth inning, and scoring the game’s last two runs in the top of the eighth.
On the final play of the game, Gelof launched a high pitch from Duke closer James Tallon to left field that was caught at the wall by a leaping Tyler Albright. Virginia (48-13) had gotten an infield single and a walk with two outs.
Duke (39-22) will be the designated home team for Saturday’s game, which is also a noon start. A win would put the Blue Devils in the College World Series for the first time since 1961.
The Blue Devils had a one-run lead on the strength of some more clutch plays. Albright blooped a ball into centerfield that scored the game-tying run, and Luke Storm’s two-out single to left scored Giovani DiGiacomo from second base.
Duke’s pitching-by-committee approach saw Fran Oschell III (6-0) pick up the win by entering in the sixth and recording scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth.
He was replaced by Tallon for the ninth in spite of Tallon not pitching in last weekend’s regional and getting roughed up by Miami in each of his last two appearances (one in the regular season, one in the ACC tournament). Tallon got a groundout and flyout before the infield single and walk meant Virginia had the winning run on first base.
Duke held Virginia’s potent offense at bay for five innings. Freshman lefty Andrew Healy pitched three innings and gave up a run, and then Owen Proksch pitched a couple of hitless innings, working around two walks in the fifth.
Charlie Beilenson, having pitched in all five of Duke’s NCAA baseball championship games, gave up four hits and recorded one out in the sixth before Oschell entered and minimized the damage.
Duke held an early lead after Damon Lux’s two-run homer in the third inning, and the Blue Devils tacked on a run in the fifth with Andrew Fischer hitting a two-out triple and scoring on an infield single by Jay Beshears (along with a throwing error).