#3 Georgia Tech Baseball’s magic number for the ACC Regular Season title coming into Friday was 5, and they head home tonight at that same number/one step closer after a 10-9 win to the Duke Blue Devils in extra innings. Tech is now 40-8 (20-5 ACC) on the season. They have now surpassed their conference win total from last year, which was enough to win the regular season title in 2025.
The win came off an RBI sacrifice fly by Drew Burress after Carson Kerce led off the bottom of the 10th with a triple.
This was Tech’s second straight tight Friday night game after losing a close, extra inning game to Xavier last week.
Advincula’s 1st inning hit set a career long 16-game hit streak.
The Game
For once, Tech had a first inning lead due to a Drew Burress solo home run, his 55th of his career. Duke answered in the next half inning on a Matthew Strand solo home run.
Things stayed quiet until the bottom of the 4th. There, Ryan Zuckerman hit a two-run homer, Kent Schmidt scored after getting on base via a first baseman fielding error, and a solo homer by Kerce to put Tech up 5-1.
Duke got one back in the top of the 5th on a Collin Anderson solo home run, and then another after a fielding error by Zuckerman put Michael DiMartini on base and was driven in on a fielders choice.
Tech led 5-3 for not much longer as in the bottom of the inning, Vahn Lackey hit a solo homer and Kent Schmidt drove in a run to put Tech up 7-3.
Later in the inning, in an odd swap, Caleb Daniel got to 2-2 in his at bat and then was pinch hit for by Parker Brosius, who then got on with a walk to load the bases. With Carson Kerce and Drew Burress coming up, Tech’s expected runs scored in that situation was likely close to two, but neither Kerce or Burress could get the ball on the ground, leaving everyone stranded.
While the four run lead going into the 6th felt good with how many baserunners we were getting, Duke made us pay with two soft singles and then a three-run home run by Kaden Smith made it 7-6. Caden Gaudette came in to pitch after the homer.
Advincula led off the bottom of the 6th with his third hit of the game and came in to score on a Baker single that was bobbled by Duke’s left fielder, putting Tech up 8-6.
In the top of the 7th, Gaudette allowed a leadoff single to Coltin Quagliano that on its own felt fine, but quickly was the least of our worries in the inning. Vahn Lackey was called for catcher’s interference, putting Quagliano on second base, who then scored on the next at bat on a single by RJ Hamilton, making it 8-7 Tech.
Mason Patel was brought in and before throwing a pitch committed a balk, moving Duke’s runners to second and third and no outs. He nearly got out of the inning without any damage after a strike out and pop up, but was robbed on two edge strike three calls, giving Michael DiMartini the window to give Duke the lead, which he did on a 3-2 single to give Duke their first lead at 9-8.
Parker Brosius immediately solved the losing problem with a solo homer in the bottom of the 7th to tie at 9-9.
Nobody had a runner in scoring position until Tech in the bottom of the 9th after a Schmidt walk and Hernandez single, both coming with one out. After Parker Brosius hit into a force out at third, Hernandez was replaced with Dominic Stephenson at second base and Kerce at the plate. Stephenson attempted to steal third on a ball in the dirt but was caught stealing. He hesitated just a fraction of a second too long and that was enough to get him out and force extra innings.
After a calm top of the 10th for Patel, Carson Kerce roped a triple off the top of the wall in center field, allowing Drew Burress to drive him in on a sacrifice fly to deep left field.
