Duke entered the 2026 ACC Baseball Championship in Charlotte with a clear aim: to extend their dominance in the tournament. The Blue Devils opened the competition by routing NC State 21‑12, a result that not only secured a spot in the next round but also marked the ninth straight year the team has advanced from the opening game in the Queen City.
At the heart of the onslaught was Kamden Smith, whose grand slam in the seventh inning capped a performance that saw him drive in eight runs, tying the ACC Championship single‑game RBI record. Smith finished 3‑for‑5 with two homers, the second a seventh‑inning blast that turned a tied game into a 12‑8 lead.
Duke’s offense was a machine, finishing with 20 hits, 12 walks and two hit‑by‑pitches while batting .100 with two outs for NC State. The Blue Devils posted 17 two‑out RBIs, a statistic that underscored their ability to capitalize on clutch opportunities.
Turning Points in the Game
The contest began with NC State striking first, as Dalton Bargo’s two‑run homer in the second inning gave the Wolfpack a 2‑0 edge. Duke answered in the third with a two‑run shot from Smith, knotting the score before Ty Head’s solo homer in the bottom of the third put NC State back on top 3‑2.
A pivotal fourth inning saw Jake Lambdin launch a bases‑loaded triple that sparked a six‑run burst, pushing Duke ahead 8‑5. The Wolfpack rallied with a run in the bottom of the fourth and another in the fifth, but the Blue Devils refused to back down.
In the seventh, Smith’s grand slam swung momentum decisively, and Duke added three more runs in the eighth before exploding for six in the ninth, sealing a 21‑12 victory. The final innings featured contributions from RJ Hamilton, Matthew Strand and Colin Anderson, each adding multi‑RBI outings.
Duke’s pitching staff also played a role, employing five arms to keep the Wolfpack at bay. Reliever Sammy Petrocelli earned the win out of the bullpen, while the offense’s relentless production left NC State’s pitchers scrambling.