DURHAM, N.C. (Interstat) — Kaden Smith launched a three-run, walk-off home run deep over the left field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday afternoon, capping a furious late rally and lifting the Duke Blue Devils to a 9-8 victory over the East Carolina Pirates in a nonconference baseball thriller.

The dramatic finish saw Duke erase an eight-run deficit, scoring six times over the final three innings to stun the visiting Pirates. Smith, the Blue Devils’ designated hitter, delivered the final blow on a 3-for-4 afternoon that included a double, the game-winning homer and three RBIs.

East Carolina had controlled much of the evening, building an 8-3 lead by the seventh inning. The Pirates capitalized on Duke miscues and timely hitting. Grayden Lenahan hit a two-run homer in the seventh, part of his 2-for-4 performance, and Jack Herring drove in three runs with a fourth-inning double.

The Pirates’ early pitching was also sharp. After starter Nick Moran allowed three runs in 2 1/3 innings, reliever Ethan Rose provided four dominant innings of hitless, scoreless relief, striking out three. His work appeared to stifle Duke’s momentum after RJ Hamilton’s two-run homer in the third had cut into the early deficit.

Duke began its comeback in the seventh. Trailing 8-3, Matthew Strand tripled to center field, driving in two runs to make it 8-6. The Blue Devils’ bullpen, led by strong outings from Edward Hart and Caleb Anderson, kept the Pirates off the board over the final three innings, setting the stage for the ninth.

In the final frame, Duke’s Perez walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a mound visit, Albright singled to put runners at the corners with one out. Hamilton struck out, bringing Smith to the plate. On the heels of a 2-for-5, two-RBI performance two days prior against Virginia Tech, Smith connected for his second home run in three games, a no-doubt shot that sent the home dugout into a frenzy.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably the bottom of the ninth inning sequence. Facing a two-run deficit, Duke’s plate discipline and clutch hitting converged. The leadoff walk, the key single, and the final showdown with Smith, who represented the winning run, created a classic comeback scenario that the junior slugger completed with authority.

Duke improved its record to 17-10-1 with the win, while East Carolina fell to 15-10-1. The teams are scheduled to meet again in Greenville on April 7.

The Blue Devils open a three-game series at Florida State on Friday. East Carolina travels to face Texas-San Antonio for a three-game set starting the same day.