Behind freshman right-hander Drue Hackenberg’s seven shutout innings on Friday night, the No. 3 Virginia Tech baseball team tipped a pitchers’ duel in its favor as the Hokies toppled Duke, 6-1, at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
With the victory – and No. 9 Miami’s 5-0 loss against No. 14 Notre Dame – Virginia Tech (39-11, 18-9 ACC) overtook the Hurricanes for first place in the ACC Coastal Division. The Hokies will enter Saturday’s regular season finale in control of their own destiny to clinch the program’s first division title during its league history and lock up the No. 1 seed in the 2022 ACC Baseball Championship.
Making the final regular season start of his rookie season, Hackenberg appeared confident as always, beginning his outing with three perfect innings – nine up, nine down. Despite surrendering a pair of singles across the fourth and fifth innings, the Tech hurler moved through the Blue Devils with ease, capping the sixth inning with his seventh and final strikeout that stranded two runners in scoring position.
Carson DeMartini gifted his fellow rookie a 1-0 lead during the bottom of the third inning, teeing off on a solo home run that saw its way deep over the left field fence. DeMartini’s 13th home run of the season marked the game’s only run through six innings as the Hokies struggled to decipher left-hander Jonathan Santucci, who allowed three hits across five and two-thirds innings of work.
Tech had a chance to add to its lead during the bottom of the sixth inning, putting runners at the corners in the aftermath of Nick Biddison’s leadoff single that traveled short of the pitcher’s mound. Taking his five-pitch walk, Jack Hurley tried luring Duke (22-31, 10-19 ACC) into a double steal, but was granted free passage before Eduardo Malinowski was retired on strikes to end the inning.
Continuing his magical return to Tech’s lineup, Carson Jones connected on his fourth home run of the week during the bottom of the seventh inning, bringing home Cade Hunter to pad the Hokies’ lead at 3-0. Since starting Tuesday’s game against Kansas State, Jones has gone 5-for-12 at the plate, clearing the yard four times to the tune of five RBIs.
Hackenberg’s night came to an end during the eighth inning after putting the first two Duke runners aboard courtesy of a walk and a hit batsman. Kiernan Higgins collected the final six outs from six batters faced to earn his fifth save of the season, though let an inherited runner score on RJ Schreck’s sacrifice fly.
Tech broke the game open during the bottom of the eighth inning, rallying for three runs with help from Malinowski’s RBI double. With two Hokies in scoring position, Conor Hartigan knocked a two-RBI base hit up the middle off Jimmy Loper, cementing the final score at 6-1.
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Chris Graham
