With four key players in the dugout with injuries, Duke pulled off its biggest series win in head coach Sean McNally's three-year tenure, taking two of three from No. 14 Virginia.
The Blue Devils (16-3, 3-3 in the ACC) won the rubber game, 4-1, behind an outstanding pitching performance by freshman Grant Monroe. Duke scored three unanswered runs in the eighth inning to win 9-8 Friday before the Cavaliers (14-4, 2-4) cruised 10-1 Saturday.
It was the first time the Blue Devils won a series from a top-25 team in McNally's term at the helm of his alma mater. And Duke did it without starting infielders Nate Freiman, Gabriel Saade and Ryan McCurdy along with closer Michael Seander.
"You really have to earn wins in the ACC no matter who you're playing. To beat a really quality program like Virginia, you're going to have to play well," McNally said. "I'm especially proud of the fact that [Saturday] losing 10-1, that was not our best effort. It says a lot resiliency-wise the way we bounced back."
That bounceback performance was headlined by Monroe, who allowed just one run on five hits in seven innings en route to his third win of the season.
"I can't say enough about Grant today," McNally said. "For a freshman to go out there and command the ball the way he did, work both sides of the plate the way he did... he really looked like a veteran, like a guy who's pitched in the ACC for a while."
Sophomore Alexander Hassan went the last two innings for his fourth save of the year, to complement three hits from the leadoff spot. That capped a sizzling stretch for Hassan, who picked up three saves while finishing 11-of-19 from the plate in the Blue Devils' five games this week, four of which were wins.
"I don't know if there's much more you can do," McNally said. "I'm certain he'll sleep well tonight. Leading off, getting three hits, picking up a save-that's a long day on a Sunday of an emotional series."
Sunday's game was the smoothest for Duke, which scored three times in the first inning and never looked back. Hassan started it with an opposite-field single before Matt Williams was hit by a pitch. Jeremy Gould drove in Hassan with an RBI single. With runners on the corners, Gould stole second. Cavalier catcher Franco Valdes bounced the throw into the outfield, allowing Williams to score the Blue Devils' second run. Jonathan Nicolla's two-out, RBI double put Duke up three.
Friday's win was more hectic, as Duke squandered an early lead before coming back in the bottom of the eighth with three two-out runs. Freshman Jake Lemmerman hit a double to drive in the deciding run before Hassan closed the door in the ninth. Lemmerman's heroics came after the Blue Devils scored six runs in three innings off Virginia ace and likely first-round draft pick Jacob Thompson.
"That was a terrific win for us, a real building-block win. It's nice to win a game that way," McNally said. "For us to be up, then down and come back, that was special."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.