Duke Softball Opens 2026 Season with Gritty Split at UCF Invitational
**ORLANDO, Fla. ** - The 2026 season is officially underway for No.
23 Duke softball, and the Blue Devils wasted no time diving into the deep end. On Friday at the UCF Black and Gold Invitational, Duke split its opening doubleheader - dropping a tight 2-1 battle to Boston University before rebounding with a strong 5-2 win over host UCF in the nightcap.
There was plenty to like in this opening act, from veteran leadership at the plate to a sharp performance in the circle. Senior D’Auna Jennings set the tone offensively, going 4-for-7 across both games and crossing the plate twice. Graduate transfer Tyrina Jones made her presence felt right away, driving in two runs on a 2-for-6 day that included a home run in her Blue Devil debut.
In the circle, senior Cassidy Curd delivered a composed and commanding outing in Game 2, holding UCF to just three hits and two runs while racking up seven strikeouts to notch her first win of the season.
Game 1: Boston University 2, Duke 1
The season opener started with a pitcher’s duel that offered little margin for error. Boston University struck first in the bottom of the first, stringing together a couple of base hits and a stolen base to grab a 1-0 lead. Duke’s bats were quiet early, but Jennings broke through in the fourth with an infield single - the team’s first hit of the game.
Jennings then swiped second and came around to score on a clutch two-out RBI single to right field by Jones, tying the game at 1-1. That moment felt like a momentum swing, but Boston would have the final say.
In the bottom of the sixth, BU’s Kylie Doherty launched a solo home run - the difference-maker in what ended as a narrow 2-1 loss for the Blue Devils.
Game 2: Duke 5, UCF 2
The nightcap started with a jolt from the Knights, who used two walks and a two-out double to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. But Duke didn’t flinch. Redshirt junior Kairi Rodriguez answered right back in the second inning with a solo shot to left - the 13th homer of her career - to cut the deficit in half.
Then came the breakthrough. In the third, the Blue Devils strung together quality at-bats, capped by senior Aminah Vega ripping a two-run triple to right-center. Duke tacked on another run in the frame to go up 4-2, flipping the script on UCF in a hurry.
Jones added insurance in the sixth with a solo blast - her 15th career home run - giving Duke a 5-2 cushion. The Knights tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the seventh, putting two runners in scoring position. But with the tying run at the plate, Duke’s defense held firm, ending the game with a groundout to short.
Key Notes & Milestones
- Jennings reached a major career milestone with her run scored against Boston - her 150th as a Blue Devil.
- Jones wasted no time making her mark, homering in her first day in a Duke uniform.
- Rodriguez’s second-inning bomb was her 13th career long ball, continuing her role as a reliable power threat.
- Vega’s triple in Game 2 was the sixth of her career, and it came at a perfect time to swing momentum.
- Gabriella Shadek and Jayla Stafford, both freshmen, earned starts in the opener - Shadek as the designated player and Stafford at first base. Shadek also picked up her first career RBI in the third inning against UCF.
- London Collins and Adelyn Matthews, two more freshmen, made their debuts as pinch runners in Game 2.
- Larissa Jacquez, a junior transfer, made her first start in a Duke uniform and logged her 37th career start overall in the circle.
- Duke now holds an 11-5 all-time record on opening day, showing once again they’re ready to compete from the jump.
What’s Next
Opening day gave us a glimpse of what this Duke team could become - a mix of seasoned leadership, promising new faces, and a pitching staff capable of locking down quality opponents. There’s still plenty of softball to be played, but if Friday is any indication, the Blue Devils have the pieces to make some real noise this season.