Weekend recap: Duke swept at Georgia Tech
Duke went down to Georgia and its fortunes didn’t improve.
The Blue Devils were swept by Georgia Tech in a three-game baseball series this weekend. Duke (23-28, 9-18 ACC) lost a close game in the series opener before dropping a couple of blowouts on Saturday and Sunday.
Duke has lost 16 of its last 18 games. The Blue Devils’ record was 21-12 after winning the middle game of a series against Louisville on April 3.
Here are quick recaps of how each game went this weekend:
Georgia Tech 10, Duke 9 (10 innings)
On Friday night, Duke scored eight runs between the fifth and seventh innings but lost in the 10th.
The Blue Devils got a runner aboard in each of the ninth and 10th innings but couldn’t string together hits. GT won it when Carson Kerce led off the bottom of the 10th with a triple and scored on Drew Burress’ walk-off sacrifice fly.
Kaden Smith had a three-run homer to bring the Blue Devils within 7-6 in the sixth. Duke took a 9-8 lead in the seventh when RJ Hamilton singled in a run and Collin Anderson drove in two. The Yellow Jackets tied it in the seventh when Parker Brosius homered.
Peter Lemke started for Duke and allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits and a walk across his four innings. Jack Hedrick had a strong 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk. David Boisvert (0-1) gave up GT’s walk-off run.
Georgia Tech 15, Duke 2 (7 innings)
On Saturday, GT’s nine-run fourth spelled doom for Duke.
The Blue Devils’ six-man effort on the mound combined to only allow nine hits. But they also issued 13 walks, four wild pitches and one hit batter.
All nine of GT’s fourth-inning runs were via homer. Burress hit a three-run blast; Ryan Zuckerman hit a grand slam; and Alex Hernandez added a two-run homer.
Duke’s runs came on Anderon’s sacrifice fly and a solo homer by Tyler Albright.
Georgia Tech 14, Duke 1 (7 innings)
On Sunday, the Blue Devils at least had a lead before the series finale got away from them.
In the first inning, Matthew Strand singled and Hamilton scored, aided by an error in centerfield by Burress.
The Yellow Jackets scored five runs in the bottom half of the inning. Jarren Advincula singled in a run and then Kent Schmidt launched a grand slam. Burress hit a three-run homer in the fifth and Brosius gave GT its second grand slam of the game in the sixth.
Duke had three hits in the game and two of them were in the first inning.
