Duke entered its three-game series against No. 7 Virginia this weekend with its postseason hopes still alive. But a sweep by the Cavaliers eliminated the possibility of an ACC Tournament berth for the Blue Devils.
Virginia defeated Duke 6-5 Friday, 17-8 Saturday and 14-6 Sunday at Davenport Field in Charlottesville, Va.
“[Virginia] didn’t miss many pitches this weekend,” Duke head coach Chris Pollard said. “With an offense like that, [the Cavaliers] have the chance to make a good run in the NCAA Tournament.”
Leading 5-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning in the series opener, the Blue Devils (25-26, 9-18 in the ACC) appeared poised to pull off the upset. The Cavaliers (42-8, 20-7) rallied for three runs, however, including a walk-off single to clinch the victory. In eight innings of work, Duke sophomore Trent Swart allowed just two earned runs and recorded six strikeouts. He also retired 12 straight batters from the second to the sixth inning.
“Trent had a tremendous outing,” Pollard said. “He pitched eight really strong innings. I can’t say enough about [his performance]. A good start is what you need on a Friday night.”
In a more lopsided contest, the Blue Devils struggled to contain Virginia’s high-powered offense Saturday. The Cavaliers combined for 13 runs in the third and fourth innings to break the game open. Down 15-1, Duke mounted a five-run rally in the top of the fifth. The Blue Devils fell short, though, as Virginia extended its lead to 16-6 in the bottom of the fifth and capped its victory with a final run in the eighth. Duke freshman Michael Matuella picked up the loss in his first ACC start, surrendering seven runs on 10 hits in 2.2 innings of work.
In the series finale, the Blue Devils jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The Cavalier offense responded, and in the fifth inning, Duke trailed 7-6. With two runners on base in the sixth, the Blue Devils had the chance to tie the game but could not score.
After Duke failed to convert on that opportunity, Virginia scored five runs in the seventh to put the game away. The Cavaliers held the Blue Devils scoreless for the remainder of the contest and tacked on two more runs in the eighth inning.
“We gave up a big inning,” Pollard said. “Virginia is an explosive offense club, and they managed to pull away late.”
Sitting at the bottom of the ACC Coastal Division after this weekend, Duke will not make the conference tournament field, which will feature the top eight teams in the ACC.
The Blue Devils hope to finish their season with a winning record following a midweek matchup against UNC Greensboro and a three-game series against N.C. State next weekend.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.