Duke Evens Series, Tops Georgia Tech 8-4

Saturday, April 23

Atlanta, Ga.

4:00 P.M.

Duke University

17-22, 7-13

Georgia Tech

25-15, 10-10

Duke

Georgia Tech

Duke Evens Series, Tops Georgia Tech 8-4

4/23/2022 8:49:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score BOX SCORE SEASON STATS PHOTO GALLERY COACH JORDAN POSTGAME

ATLANTA – Duke scored runs in each of the last four innings to defeat Georgia Tech, 8-4, on Saturday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta.

The Blue Devils (17-22, 7-13 ACC) evened the series to set up a rubber game on Sunday. Duke out-hit Georgia Tech (25-15, 10-10 ACC) 11-7 in the contest, limiting the nations third-ranked offense to just four runs.

Senior RJ Schreck and sophomores Alex Stone and Luke Storm led Duke offensively, each registering multiple hits. Schreck finished 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Stone went 2-for-3 with a walk while Storm went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a double.

Rookie southpaw Jonathan Santucci made his third career start for the Blue Devils. A native of Leominster, Mass., Santucci picked up right where he left off in his last ACC start, allowing two hits and four walks in four scoreless innings of work. Santucci continues to be on a tear, holding a 0.57 ERA (one earned run in 15.2 innings pitched) in the month of April with 21 strikeouts.

The antithesis of the night before when there were a combined 14 runs through four innings, neither team was unable to get on the board through the first five innings. Duke had three hits across the first three frames, but the Yellow Jackets were able to turn two double plays to keep the Blue Devils at scoreless.

Georgia Tech was the first team to have a runner reach third base, doing so in the bottom of the fifth inning. Duke escaped the jam as sophomore Adam Boucher forced a pop out in foul territory. Boucher earned the win in relief, finishing with three strikeouts and allowed just two hits in two scoreless innings.

Duke broke open the scoring in the top of the sixth inning, taking a 2-0 lead. A single by sophomore Alex Stone and a walk by freshman Alex Mooney put runners on first and second with no outs. Junior Graham Pauley executed a sacrifice bunt to move both runners over. Schreck dealt the big blow with a two-RBI double to right field.

The Blue Devils added three more on four hits in the top of the seventh inning to extend the lead to 5-0. Pauley delivered the blow with a three-run home run after Stone singled and Mooney walked. It was Pauley's second in as many games, and he now leads the team with eight.

Georgia Tech scored four in the bottom of the seventh on just two hits to pull within one, 5-4. Freshman Devin Obee responded for Duke in the top of the eighth with a solo home run to left field.

Duke added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth to bring the game's final score, 8-4. Storm recorded an RBI groundout before senior Damon Lux singled through the left side to plate another.

Sophomore southpaw Luke Fox finished the game for Duke. Fox earned the save, his first of his career, after allowing just one hit and one walk while fanning four in 2.1 innings pitched.

Duke and Georgia Tech wrap up the series in Atlanta on Sunday at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast nationally on ACC Network and will be available via radio on the Varsity Network App.

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