Hokie ClubDURHAM, N.C. – Dueling late into extra innings on Friday night, the Virginia Tech baseball team was walked off in 11 innings by Duke, 6-3, on AJ Gracia’s walk-off, three-run home run at Jack Coombs Field.
Virginia Tech (26-16, 10-12 ACC) headed into the seventh inning down, 3-1, in need of a breakthrough against the Blue Devils’ southpaw starter, Owen Proksch, who was flexing 10 strikeouts and had allowed two hits. With two outs and Henry Cooke on second base, David Lewis delivered the power swing the Hokies were looking for, driving Proksch’s 1-1 pitch deep to left field for the game-tying, two-run homer.
Gifted new life, Virginia Tech reliever Cameron LeJeune continued to answer the bell for the Hokies, keeping the game deadlocked at 3-3.
LeJeune was first tested by Duke (29-14, 13-9 ACC) during the bottom of the ninth inning after allowing a one-out double to Jake Berger. During the ensuing at-bat, leadoff shortstop Wallace Clark poked LeJeune’s 0-2 pitch into shallow left field, advancing Berger around third base and setting up a play at the plate.
Saving the ballgame, Ben Watson rifled a one-hop throw from left field to nab Berger at the plate, providing LeJeune with a ticket out of the inning. On three pitches, LeJeune struck out Gracia, sending the game into extra innings.
Lewis led off the 10th inning for Virginia Tech with a base hit into the left field corner, but was thrown out at second base while trying to leg out a double. The out proved costly for the Hokies, who received a two-out, pinch-hit double by David McCann, ultimately stranding him in scoring position.
LeJeune bounced back from allowing a leadoff single during the bottom of the 10th inning to carve through the Blue Devils, but found himself in a deeper hole during the bottom of the 11th inning.
Macon Winslow nearly won the game with a solo home run to left field that was kept in play by Watson’s leaping attempt at the catch. With two outs and Winslow at third base, Virginia Tech elected to intentionally walk Clark to set up an at-bat with Gracia, who greeted LeJeune with the walk-off, three-run home run hit to center field.
Brett Renfrow collected the first two outs during each of his six innings on the mound, though was still touched up by Duke to the tune of three runs on six hits. Ben Rounds hit a solo homer off Renfrow during the bottom of the second inning while a walk and two singles led the Blue Devils to push a second run across during the frame.
Virginia Tech relied on small ball to chip into Duke’s lead during the third inning. With runners at the corners, Jared Davis dropped a safety squeeze bunt into play, scoring Hudson Lutterman to halve the score at 2-1.
Ben Miller’s solo home run during the bottom of the fifth inning reinstated the Blue Devils’ 3-1 lead, which was anchored by Proksch into the seventh inning. Reid Easterly pitched the final four and one-third innings for Duke, striking out four batters.