Six Homers Propel Duke Past USC Upstate in Doubleheader

Wednesday, March 4

Durham, N.C.

3 p.m.

Duke University

USC Upstate

Six Homers Propel Duke Past USC Upstate in Doubleheader

3/4/2020 9:19:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke softball used the long ball to notch two run-rule victories in its first midweek doubleheader of the season, defeating USC Upstate 11-2 and 10-0 on Wednesday afternoon at the Duke Softball Stadium.

Wednesday's victories bump Duke to 17-4 on the season while the Spartans fall to 14-6.

Sophomore Caroline Jacobsen recorded half of Duke's homers, breaking the single-season record of six, to improve to nine on the season. With more years left to play, the Tallahassee native now holds the career record with 15. Along with Jacobsen, freshmen Felise Collins and Kamryn Jackson each hit a home run while junior Sydney Bolan hit her first bomb as a Blue Devil.

"I was trying to be really aggressive and I've been working on it a lot the past three days," said Jacobsen. "We were picking a side of the plate, looking to be aggressive early in the count and it paid off."

Collins garnered a team-high four hits in the doubleheader with four RBI while sophomore Deja Davis and Jacobsen each tallied three hits. Jacobsen finished the night with a team-high four RBI.

Duke 11, USC Upstate 2 (5)
The Spartans struck first in the top of the first, using two hits to plate one run before the Blue Devils responded with three in the bottom half. Davis drew a leadoff walk before Jacobsen crushed her first homer of the night to take a 2-1 lead. Collins notched her first hit and was brought home on an RBI double from freshman Gisele Tapia.

Duke added three runs in the second frame, expanding its lead to 6-1 with singles from Jazmine Moreno, Davis and Collins while junior Jameson Kavel hit a double.

The Blue Devils' offense surged in the third, beginning with a single from junior Rachel Crabtree and followed by Jackson's third long ball of her career (8-1). Davis added her second hit and junior Kendyl Lange followed with a single through the left side before Collins hit a three-run shot out of the park to put Duke ahead, 11-1.

Sophomore Kristina Foreman doubled down the left field line for Duke's final hit of the first game. USC Upstate scored one run on two hits in the top of the fifth, but the Blue Devils ended the game early with an 11-2 victory.

Junior Peyton St. George (7-2) picked up her seventh dub of the season, pitching four complete innings in which she let up four hits while tallying four strikeouts. Making her second appearance of her career, sophomore Angie Biele threw one inning in relief.

Duke 10, USC Upstate 0 (5)
The Blue Devils carried momentum into game two, scoring eight runs on eight hits in the first inning as Duke batted around the lineup. Lange reached on an infield single and was brought home on Jacobsen's second homer of the day. Duke added three more singles, two doubles and a triple to take an 8-0 lead in the opening frame.

Jacobsen hit her second long ball of the game in the bottom of the fourth, sending a solo shot over the center field fence. One at-bat later, Bolan crushed the first home run of her career at Duke to plate the Blue Devil's final run of the game (10-0).

Brianna Butler earned the fifth win of her junior campaign, dealing four innings in which she allowed just one hit while striking out six batters. Sophomore Kylie Coffelt also made the second relief appearance of her career, pitching one frame in which she only faced three batters.

The Blue Devils return to action this weekend, hosting the Duke Invitational. Duke's first game will be against Fordham on Friday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.

#GoDuke