The independent news organization of Duke University
It’s rare enough to have two aces on a roster. It’s even more rare when both of these said aces are best friends who genuinely root for the other without jealousy, but this is the story of Peyton St. George and Shelby Walters.
You just need to score one more run than the opponent to win the game. Duke started its tournament run with two one-run games, and came out hoisting the ACC Championship trophy after a third.
Despite the historic breakthroughs of “Team Four,” most of Duke’s 2021 season has come without major in-game dramatics. Until Friday.
Duke had been rolling as the ACC tournament got underway, and it took a valiant yet composed effort to bring the Blue Devils their first-ever postseason victory.
Of all the records set by “Team 4,” none are more indicative of this than last weekend's hit-by-pitch accomplishments, a true team effort if there ever was one.
The Blue Devils opened the weekend with four first-inning home runs, tying a team record. They closed the weekend having scored 33 runs, a school record for an ACC series, and having locked up the 3-seed in the conference tournament, also a program-best.
The 2021 season has been a wild ride, featuring some of the greatest moments in Duke softball’s short history, and this past weekend’s series against North Carolina created another one.
The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster, but Duke gave a glimpse of its earlier season form over the weekend.
The sweep is Duke's first such series loss since April 2019, which also came against the Seminoles.
The 22nd-ranked Blue Devils dropped three out of four games in their weekend series with the 14th-ranked Hokies.
With the softball season just past the halfway mark, beat writers Em Adler and Micah Hurewitz dished out their midseason awards.
A red-hot Duke team entered the weekend in hope of extending its run. Clemson, however, came prepared with the water to douse the Blue Devils’ fiery bats in an even series.
Duke softball continues to set program records, with no sign of relenting.
It was clear from the first action Friday evening that Duke was going to embarrass Virginia across the four-game series at Duke Softball Stadium. The only question was how badly.
At 7:02 pm, Shelby Walters was in the dugout with five no-hit innings under her belt, the game still scoreless. By 7:09 pm, Shelby Waters had recorded the first no-hitter in Blue Devil history.
Duke softball is in uncharted territory.
The Blue Devils’ season has only truly begun, once they start showing out under that lazy Sunday sun.
Duke is, almost inexplicably, ready to mount a challenge for the ACC crown.
Duke might’ve been the benefactor of some early-season luck, but it was clearly the best team in the frigid, rain-soaked Tiger Park this weekend.
Head coach Marissa Young hopes to use her program’s historic 2020 campaign as a springboard for the program entering the 2021 season.