In a thrilling afternoon showdown at Smith Family Stadium, the Blue Devils clinched their second ACC series victory of the season by defeating No. 11 Virginia Tech, 5-2.
With this win, Duke boosts its overall record to 18-9 and remains undefeated in league play at 5-0. Meanwhile, the Hokies slip to 22-4 and are still searching for their first conference win.
A standout performance from redshirt freshman Ava Bradshaw was key to Duke's victory. Entering as relief, Bradshaw delivered 4.0 scoreless innings, skillfully navigating through five hits and two walks, while striking out one. This outing improved her season record to 3-1.
Game Breakdown
The Blue Devils wasted no time setting the tone. Senior D'Auna Jennings ignited the offense with a leadoff double, soon scoring on a base hit by Aminah Vega.
Graduate student Tyrina Jones followed suit with an RBI-single, bringing Vega home. Freshman Jayla Stafford then executed a sacrifice fly, allowing sophomore Layla Lamar, who had drawn a walk, to score.
Redshirt junior Kairi Rodriguez capped off the explosive inning with a double, driving in Jones and extending the lead to 4-0.
Virginia Tech responded in the second inning with Haley Luginbill's two-RBI single, narrowing the gap to 4-2. However, Jennings struck again in the fourth, delivering a hit to shallow center that brought freshman Ariel Krueger across the plate, making it 5-2. Krueger was pinch running for Rodriguez, who had opened the inning with another double.
The Hokies threatened in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs through a single and a pair of walks. Yet, the Blue Devils held firm, securing the win with a groundout to second base, leaving the potential tying run stranded.
Key Notes
Sophomore Mallory Wheeler made her sixth start of the season, pitching the initial 3.0 innings and conceding two runs on four hits and two walks. Bradshaw's appearance marked her ninth of the season and her first since late February.
Offensively, Rodriguez and Jennings were instrumental, each contributing multiple hits. Rodriguez notched her third multi-hit game of the year, while Jennings recorded her 17th.
This victory marks Duke's third consecutive series win over the Hokies, having triumphed in eight of their last nine encounters.
What’s Next
The Blue Devils and Hokies will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday evening. The finale is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on the ACC Network. Expect another intense matchup as both teams vie for supremacy in this early-season conference clash.