In a college baseball game, Virginia Tech faces Duke in pool play. Duke's Ryan Higgins struggles with control, walking batters and being replaced. Virginia Tech takes an early lead, with Carson DeMartini hitting a three-run homer. However, Duke fights back, with Zac Morris hitting a three-run homer to cut the lead. Duke eventually takes the lead, with Alex Stone and Logan Bravo contributing key hits. The game sees multiple lead changes, with Duke ultimately winning 10-6.
Duke gets that run back in the bottom of the 7th. Alex Stone singled and Logan Bravo doubled into the right-center gap. Stone's impressive night continues, chugging home from first. Duke leads 10-6.
Duke has a 9-5 lead in the top of the 7th. Gabriel Nard walked the leadoff batter -- the 8th walk by Duke pitchers tonight -- and Clay Grady singled. Duke is turning to iron-armed Charlie Beilenson for the last 9 outs of this game.
Middle-inning homers from Alex Stone (solo) and Zac Morris (2-run) give Duke some cushion, as the Blue Devils now lead 9-5 in the 7th. It's no surprise, but Chris Pollard laid out his gameplay in the in-game interview: get to the 8th and turn the ball over to Charlie Beilenson.
Alex Stone provides some breathing room with his 12th homer. He's got a 13-game hitting streak. During that stretch, he has 14 extra base hits and 24 RBI.
David Boisvert issued a leadoff walk and hit a batter, got a groundout before Duke replaced him with Tim Noone. He got a double play lineout on his second pitch, to third baseman Ben Miller. Duke leads 6-5; VT still has 1 hit.
Logan Bravo inside-outs a single with 2 on and 2 outs, driving in Ben Miller. Miller doubled after college f. baseball's longest-ever review (unofficial). Duke trails VT 5-4.
Zac Morris hits a 3-run homer that just squeaks over the fence in left-center, as @DukeBASE cuts the Hokie lead to 5-3 here in the third. Feels like we're in for another slugfest. Just a hunch. I know I'm going out on a limb.
Duke's first baserunner is Devin Obee hitting a leadoff triple to right-center in the bottom of the 3rd.
In the late game, No. 10-seed Virginia Tech is out to a 5-0 lead midway through the second over sixth-seeded Duke. Hokies got a long three-run homer from Carson DeMartini.
Hokies put a 5 spot on Duke in the 2nd inning. The Devils tried to start their Sunday guy and he lasted 1 and a third.
David McCann *almost* hit a grand slam, but it was only a sac fly. Next batter, with 2 outs, *does* homer. Carson DeMartini didn't miss that one and it's a 3-run HR, 5-0 lead for VT.
On the 9th pitch to VT's Henry Cooke, Ryan Higgins misses juuuust outside for his fourth straight walk. He's replaced by James Tallon, VT leading 1-0 in the top of the 2nd.
Duke's Ryan Higgins mowed through the first 4 batters he faced, including 3 strikeouts. He's walked back-to-back batters here in the top of the 2nd and all of a sudden has lost his control.
We're underway with Virginia Tech-Duke in pool play. Duke starter Ryan Higgins had a nice 4-inning start against UNC over the weekend, gets the ball to start the opener here. Suspect Duke would be thrilled to get 4 out of him in this one, too.