Duke softball will have a slightly different team going into next season, gaining a trio of talented infielders while taking a loss in pitching depth.
The Blue Devils were more than just regular-season warriors: They won the league championship for the second time and advanced to new heights in the postseason, garnering its first Women’s College World Series berth.
Duke's Women College World Series bid was cut short as it fell first to Oklahoma in Game 1 and then ended its journey with a 2-1 loss to Alabama.
The Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead in their first Women’s College World Series game in program history, but the favorites ultimately prevailed, as Oklahoma mashed three two-run homers en route to a 9-1 victory in the opening round of play.
Following a dramatic extra-innings victory against No. 7 Missouri, the Blue Devils punched their ticket to a program-first Women’s College World Series. With the tournament’s climax fast approaching, the Blue Zone previews Duke’s path to the chip.
In a winner-take-all, program-defining game, No. 10-seed Duke won a 4-3 war of attrition against No. 7-seed Missouri. The Blue Devils tallied just three hits in the first eight innings, but a four-run ninth inning led by a home run from sophomore D’Auna Jennings was enough to seal the victory.
After winning the first game of the Super Regional Friday, No. 10-seed Duke fell 3-1 to No. 7-seed Missouri in game two.
In front of a sellout crowd in Colombia, Mo., No. 10-seed Duke took down No. 7-seed Missouri 6-3 in the first game of Super Regionals.
On Sunday afternoon, the Blue Devils finished off a smooth regional event in Durham, opening the floodgates late on South Carolina en route to a 10-1 victory to win three games on the weekend and become one of the final 16 teams standing.
They say the devil is in the details. But in Durham, the Blue Devils are in the details — and numbers.
Once again, in their first two regional games against Morgan State and South Carolina, the Blue Devils showed how they have mastered the art of the long game. The Blue Devils earned their way back to the NCAA Regional Final.
At the first ever ACC tournament in Durham, the hosts are bringing home the hardware, as the Blue Devils took down conference powerhouse Florida State behind a fervent comeback bid in the sixth inning to emerge with a 6-3 victory. The title is the second in program history, with the last coming in 2021.
The top-seeded Blue Devils defeated No. 5-seed Clemson 4-3 in the tenth inning to advance to the ACC Championship. This came a day following a 2-0 defeat of No. 9-seed Boston College in the quarterfinals off an Aminah Vega walk-off home run in the tenth inning as well.
The All-ACC softball awards were announced Wednesday morning, and Duke was historically honored. The Blue Devils won four of the five major awards, and had five players on the All-ACC teams.
They say the devil is in the details. But in Durham, the Blue Devils are in the details — and numbers.
Every week, the Blue Zone breaks down an outstanding spring athlete, looking at their weekly performance and their season as a whole. Up next is Amiah Burgess.
No. 5 Duke Softball traveled to Raleigh for a three-game matchup with N.C. State, and the Blue Devils sealed their series sweep Sunday behind standout pitching from senior Jala Wright.
The Blue Deivls charged into the Spartans’ home turf and didn’t look back, winning by a convincing margin of 16-3 in just five innings.
In their first matchup since throwing a no-hitter against them in last year’s ACC tournament, Cassidy Curd and the Blue Devils dominated the Tigers once again.
In two midweek games against nonconference opposition, perfection was the expectation for the Blue Devils. One game was close, but the other provided an unexpected test.
