The independent news organization of Duke University
Duke's ascension to ACC and national contention has been continuous and steady. But in the biggest game in their five-year history, the Blue Devils’ crushing loss was punctuated only by sharp swings from UCLA to Duke and back again.
No.12-seed Duke engaged in a battle Friday against No. 5-seed UCLA at Easton Stadium in Los Angeles with the home Bruins prevailing 3-2 thanks to a dramatic, momentum-shifting sixth inning.
The Blue Devils hit a speed bump and cruised down the other side Sunday as Duke advances to the super regionals for the first time.
Fourteen innings of NCAA tournament action are in the books and Duke refuses to let that zero in the “runs allowed” column budge.
No. 12-seed Duke bested America East champion UMBC 4-0 in its first game of the NCAA Durham Regional.
One year ago, Duke made its first ACC tournament breakthrough, upsetting Florida State to get to the conference championship game against Clemson. Facing that same stage again one season later, the Blue Devils played a thriller but came up just short.
In Duke softball’s fourth year of existence in 2021, the program took the ACC Championship crown. In their fifth, the Blue Devils are one step closer to fighting their way to another.
Schedule changes and rain delays would not fluster Duke on its way to sweeping Pittsburgh and finishing the regular season with the second-best record in the ACC.
In a series marked by alternating shutouts, the Blue Devils rallied for the rubber match victory after being upset Saturday afternoon.
Nationally, the Blue Devils rank fifth in runs per game, seventh in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging, and eighth in home runs per game. It’s fair to say this is rarified air.
While the Blue Devils faltered under the weight of accumulating missteps in their second meeting with Clemson Saturday, they firmly outplayed the Tigers Sunday to take the three-game series with a 7-1 win.
The Blue Devils entered their fourth home invitational looking to recover from their top-five loss to Florida Feb. 18. They got two opportunities to notch a ranked win against Michigan, both times carrying momentum from early-afternoon run-rule wins.
Duke stormed into contention Wednesday against Elon in the third, beginning with a shot into left by outfielder/pitcher Claire Davidson.
The Blue Devils took down the No. 2 team in the country in its opening weekend event.
The Blue Devils battled their way to the ACC Championship last season, yet were ranked fourth in the conference this preseason behind Florida State, Clemson and Virginia Tech. The good news: Duke is as primed as it's ever been.
As 2021 comes to a close, The Chronicle's sports department takes a look back at the biggest stories of the year in Duke athletics. Each day, we will review a major game, event or storyline that helped shape the course of the year for the Blue Devils.
Anxious hitters, rattled pitchers, tough late-inning decisions—all occasional problems that hurt the Blue Devils throughout the season, but never with major consequence. That changed Sunday.
Despite nearly falling victim to a no-hitter and facing elimination, Duke is staying alive another day after prevailing in a marathon duel.
The No. 13-seed Blue Devils defeated UNC Greensboro 2-0 in the opening game of the Athens, Ga., regional at Jack Turner Stadium Friday afternoon.
Duke is conference champions, but it still has work to do.