ATLANTA (March 26) — Freshman left-hander Kevin Perry went seven innings on the mound, allowing just two runs and ten hits for Duke on Sunday afternoon, as the Blue Devils set down No. 14 Georgia Tech, 4-3, for the second straight day, taking two of three from the Jackets in the series.
Despite allowing ten hits, Perry (3-1) held the Jackets to just two runs through seven, before Brad DuPree came on to work the final two innings, and pick up his fourth save of the season. Tech left thirteen runners on base in the game.
The Blue Devils (11-20, 2-4 ACC) got on the board first, scoring on a throwing error by Tech starting pitcher Rhett Parrott in the fourth. After Duke upped its lead to 2-0 in the fifth, a triple by Tech third baseman Mark Teixeira set up the Jackets’ first run of the day, as the lead was cut to 2-1.
Duke scored twice in the seventh, on an RBI single by Doug Bechtold and a sacrifice fly by J.D. Alleva, to build a 4-1 lead. A home run by Teixeira in the seventh narrowed the margin to 4-2, and an eighth inning RBI single by Richard Lewis got Tech within a run.
The Jackets (18-8, 4-2 ACC) tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, but after a leadoff walk to Teixeira and error by J.D. Alleva left two on with one out, DuPree forced Derik Goffena to hit into a fielder’s choice, and Tyler Parker to fly out to end the game.
Parrott took the loss on the mound for the Jackets, having allowed four runs, three earned, and six hits over 6-1/3 innings. Freshman Jeff Watchko shut out the Blue Devils over the final 2-2/3 innings.
Georgia Tech returns to action on Tuesday night at 7 p.m., as the Jackets host Charleston Southern in the opener of two-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium.
