Another team took its turn amassing hits and runs against Georgia Tech. This weekend, it was Duke, which raked the Yellow Jackets to win the series at Russ Chandler Stadium two games to one.
Duke won Saturday and Sunday, 8-4 and 15-14, respectively, to win its second ACC series in seven tries (though its second in a row). The Yellow Jackets won 12-11 on Friday in 10 innings.
The Blue Devils hit .368 over the three games and tagged Tech pitchers for 10 home runs. Prior to this weekend, the Blue Devils were hitting .248 (lowest in the ACC), with 47 home runs (fourth lowest). Tech’s opponent batting average of .287 is the highest in the ACC. Its 58 home runs allowed are also the most in the ACC, while its 6.42 ERA is second highest.
“Duke just wore us out, quite honestly, jumped on us early (Sunday),” coach Danny Hall told media after the game.
For Tech (25-16 overall, 10-11 ACC), it was the fourth ACC series this season out of seven in which the Jackets have given up 30 or more runs over the three games. It’s the second most behind Boston College (five). No other team has more than two. The 34 runs and 10 home runs were the most in an ACC series for Duke (18-22, 8-13) in the tenure of coach Chris Pollard, now in his 10th season.
“We just didn’t do anything to get them off-balance, make them uncomfortable,” Hall said. “But give them credit – they hit ‘em when they needed ‘em.”
Neither of Tech’s mainstay starters, Chance Huff and Marquis Grissom Jr., got past the second inning. One bright spot for the Jackets was Saturday starter John Medich, who gave up two earned runs in 5 ⅓ innings in the first weekend start of his career.
The Jackets, who had won two series in a row before facing Duke, continued their scalding pace on offense, hitting seven home runs and batting .311. Catcher Kevin Parada hit his 19th home run of the season but fell out of a tie for the lead in Division I as Old Dominion’s Matt Coutney hit three and Texas’ Ivan Melendez hit four this weekend to both reach 21 for the year. Parada is now third.
The Jackets put on a show of their relentless run production Sunday as they chased the series win. They fell behind 7-0 after 3 ½ innings before closing to 7-5 after the fifth inning and then answered Duke’s five-run sixth inning with their own five-run sixth. Going into the ninth, the Blue Devils scored another three for a 15-11 lead before Tech’s final attempt to overtake Duke or send the game to extra innings.
Tres Gonzalez and Tim Borden reached base by walk and hit batsman, respectively, before Stephen Reid hit a two-out, three-run home run to close the lead to 15-14. However, pinch hitter Jake DeLeo flied out to end the game.
Tech will be at home vs. Troy on Tuesday and then plays a home weekend series against No. 3 Miami.
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