Despite hitting .237 going into the Conway Regional, Damon Lux felt good about his swing.
Duke was the benefit of the Shelbyville graduate’s confidence. Lux had five hits, including two doubles and two home runs, and eight runs batted in to help Duke advance to the Super Regional.
The Blue Devils routed Coastal Carolina, 12-3, Monday at Springs Brooks Stadium to win the Conway Regional in front of a stadium-record crowd of 5,102. Lux had a walk, a double and scored a run to improve Duke to 38-22 this season.
“I’m feeling good,” said Lux prior to the start of the postseason. “I feel really good at the plate but the numbers don’t really say that. I’ve had some games with some good swings and just pop out. My approach is solid so I just need to keep doing what I’m doing and good things will happen and things will fall.”
In Duke’s opener Friday against North Carolina Wilmington, Lux had two hits, two runs scored and three RBIs in a 12-3 win. With the game tied in the fourth inning, Lux smashed a two-run home run to stake Duke to a 4-2 lead it never surrendered.
On Saturday, Lux delivered a ninth-inning sacrifice fly to get Duke a 2-1 victory over Rider and a berth in the regional championship game.
“In the situation, I was just trying to get something far enough into the outfield to where he could tag up and score. With (Giovanni DiGiacomo) on third, it wasn’t going to be difficult to get something deep enough,” said Lux in a postgame media interview. “I wanted to do it as early as possible to avoid being in a pitcher’s count. I got an elevated fastball and was able to drive it deep enough for Gio to score.”
Coastal Carolina forced a second championship game in the double-elimination format with an 8-6 win Sunday. Lux (photo) had a second-inning grand slam that put Duke up 5-4 but the Blue Devils could not hold on to the lead to set up a winner-takes-all championship game Monday.
Lux was one of 12 players named to the All-Regional Team based on his performance.
Duke and Virginia open a best-of-three series Friday at noon at Disharoon Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. The game will air on ESPN2.
The two teams meet again Saturday at noon on ESPN2.
The Blue Devils won two game in a three-game series in late April at Virginia. Duke secured 17-5 and 7-3 wins. Virginia won the middle game of the series, 10-2.
The super regional winner advances to the College World Series.
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