Duke baseball ends season with 7-2 loss at Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Duke baseball team concluded the 2022 baseball season on Saturday afternoon as it dropped the series finale to Virginia Tech, 7-2, at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.  

Duke (22-32, 10-20 ACC) was limited to three hits in the contest with Virginia Tech (40-11, 19-9 ACC). The Blue Devils tallied 11 strikeouts but struggled allowing the long ball as the Hokies hit five home runs.

Junior Billy Seidl started on the mound for the Blue Devils. Seidl allowed three hits, each a solo home run, one walk and struck out one in 0.2 innings of work. Sophomore Adam Boucher entered in relief of Seidl and surrendered one run on two hits. He fanned a pair in the outing.

Virginia Tech got on the board in the bottom of the first inning as three of its first four hitters recorded solo home runs. Duke responded in the top of the second inning, pulling one run back on consecutive two-out doubles by graduate students Trevor Johnson and Chris Crabtree. It was Crabtree's 40th career double, moving him into the top 25 in program history.

The hosts hit another solo home run in the third inning to extend the lead, 4-1. Duke wouldn't be counted out, scoring another in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to two runs. Sophomore Luke Storm hit his 10th home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. Storm's 10 home runs tie for the team lead with classmate Alex Stone.

Virginia Tech added to its lead in the seventh inning, hitting a three-run home run with two outs to make it 7-2.

Senior Aaron Beasley entered the game in the fourth inning and pitched well for the Blue Devils. Beasley, a native of Durham, N.C., allowed a leadoff walk before striking out the next three batters looking to get out of the inning. An one hour and 37 minute weather delay forced Beasley out of the game.

Graduate student John Natoli took the mound following the delay. Natoli was effective against the Hokies, allowing a leadoff walk and then retiring six consecutive batters before facing trouble in the seventh. Natoli finished with three runs allowed on three hits in three innings of work. He also tallied five strikeouts.

END OF SEASON NOTES:

Duke finished the season with 563 strikeouts and 10.60 strikeouts per nine innings. The 10.60 strikeouts per nine innings set the school record, while the 563 overall K's rank third in program history.

The Blue Devils finished the season with 64 home runs on the year, the fifth most in program history.

Duke's overall fielding percentage of .974 ranked in the top five in program history.

Graduate student Matt Dockman and senior Cooper Stinson etched their names in the program record books. Dockman concluded his career with 90 appearances to rank tied for third all-time in program lore while Stinson made 47 career starts, good for sixth all-time.

Freshman Devin Obee tallied six home runs in the season, matching former Blue Devil Joey Loperfido for the most by a true freshman under coach Chris Pollard.

Sophomore Luke Storm showed a knack for getting on base, drawing being hit by a pitch on 17 occasions to tie for the fourth most in program history.

Senior RJ Schreck and graduate student Chris Crabtree rank tied for 11th and 16th all-time with 26 and 22 career home runs, respectively.