GRANVILLE — Texas A&M ran out of ninth-inning miracles. Duke continued to be a surprise.
The Blue Devils, ranked 44th in the RPI and one of the final at-large teams to be included in the NCAA tournament field, advanced to next week’s super regional with a 4-1 victory over the Aggies on Sunday at Monongalia County Ballpark.
“I kept telling our guys throughout the course of this week to really embrace the joy of being here,” Duke coach Chris Pollard said. “This was the reward for them for staying in the fight for what’s been a difficult and trying season at times for us.”
Duke blazed through the Morgantown Regional with victories against two of the country’s top collegiate pitchers in Texas A&M’s John Doxakis and West Virginia’s Alek Manoah in the early rounds.
“To be honest, I’m still trying to process it. It feels a little surreal in this moment right now,” Pollard said. “We told our guys that once you get in, anything can happen. You bust your tail all year to get into this field of 64, because once you get in, anything can happen.”
Duke (34-25) survived another strong pitcher in Texas A&M sophomore lefty Chandler Jozwiak, who struck out 12 and walked only one in 6 2/3 innings.
The Blue Devils did it this time behind Kyle Gallagher’s power in the championship game.
Duke’s senior outfielder hit a three-run blast in the first inning off Jozwiak before scoring teammate Kennie Taylor with a double in the third.
“This is something I’ve obviously dreamed about for a while,” said Gallagher, a fifth-year graduate transfer from Cornell. “That was just one game. This entire weekend has been unbelievable.”
Gallagher batted .545 in the regional.
Texas A&M (39-23-1) rallied from a 9-1 deficit and scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to pull out an 11-10 win against West Virginia to advance to the title game.
“We expected to do well the whole game,” said Texas A&M second baseman Bryce Blaum, who hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth against West Virginia to send the Aggies to the championship game. “We believe in each other. We felt if we kept putting the barrel of the bat on the ball that [hits] would eventually begin to fall in. Unfortunately in the second game, it didn’t.”
This time around, the Aggies were shut down by Duke reliever Matt Dockman, who pitched a perfect ninth and struck out Ty Condel to end the game and set off a wild Blue Devils’ celebration at the pitcher’s mound.
Known for its offense, Duke instead became a team of pitching and defense.
In three regional wins, the Blue Devils allowed just six runs, including a 4-0 shutout against West Virginia in the second round.
Duke starting pitcher Bryce Jarvis was named the regional’s MVP after striking out 12 against WVU.
“Give Duke a lot of credit, because they played the best out of all four teams here this weekend,” Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress said. “They are well coached and they out-pitched everybody all weekend long. That’s why they’re advancing.”
Duke reliever Jack Carey (4-1) picked up the win. He pitched 2 1/3 innings, giving up just one hit and no runs. Dockman earned his second save of the season.
