Duke Wins Opening Day; Defeats UCA, No. 5 LSU

Friday, February 12

Baton Rouge, La.

5:50 p.m.

Duke University

1-0

Central Arkansas

0-1

Central Arkansas

Duke

Photo by: LSU Athletics

Duke Wins Opening Day; Defeats UCA, No. 5 LSU

2/13/2021 12:57:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BATON ROUGE, La. – Duke picked up right where it left off last season, opening the 2021 campaign at 2-0 while capturing the program's second win over a ranked opponent. The Blue Devils began the Tiger Classic with a 6-2 victory over Central Arkansas before defeating No. 5 LSU, 8-4, on a cold Friday evening.

The Blue Devils (2-0) extend their season-opening win streak to four games while handing both the Bears (0-1) and Tigers (1-1) their first losses of the young season.

"I'm proud of them for so many reasons and I think the biggest one is that they had so much adversity before we even took the field today," head coach Marissa Young said. "With the weather, change of schedule and the 15-hour bus ride…there were so many factors, but this team is relentless. They're not going to let anything get in their way and for us to come out as hot as we did in game two against LSU – it was exciting to see."

Senior Jameson Kavel and junior Deja Davis led Duke at the plate as both went 4-for-7 with Kavel tallying three RBIs. Duke saw strong starts in the circle from seniors Brianna Butler and Peyton St. George while junior Shelby Walters closed out game one.

No. 25 Duke 6, Central Arkansas 2
Following a few fielding errors in the opening frame, Butler got out of a bases-loaded jam with back-to-back strikeouts. Senior Rachel Crabtree plated the first run for the Blue Devils in 2021, sending a double through the left side to score Kavel and give Duke a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

Keeping the second inning alive with two outs, graduate student Dominique Salinas drew a walk and advanced to second on a hit through the right side by Davis. In the next at bat, Kavel reached on an infield single which scored Salinas. Crabtree smacked her second double of the contest to left center, bringing home two more runs and expanding Duke's lead, 4-0.

After both sides were retired in order in the third, Davis notched the Blue Devils' third double of the game in the fourth, but Duke couldn't bring her across the plate.

Central Arkansas cut the Blue Devils' lead to 4-2 in the top of the fifth with a two-run single down the left field line, but Butler garnered her sixth punchout of the game to strand two base runners for the Bears. In the bottom half of the frame, senior Sydney Bolan tacked on another run for Duke, blasting the first home run of the 2021 campaign over the wall in center (5-2).

With two outs and bases loaded in the sixth, Walters entered in relief and left Duke unscathed with an easy out at second base on a fielder's choice. Singling through the left side, Kavel scored the Blue Devils' final run of the contest as pinch runner Kyla Morris crossed home plate to give Duke a 6-2 advantage.

In the circle, Butler earned her first victory of the year after dealing 5.2 innings in which she racked up seven strikeouts. Walters notched her second career save, pitching 1.1 frames while only letting up one hit.

No. 25 Duke 8, No. 5 LSU 4
Duke got off to an explosive 3-0 start, sparked by Davis' leadoff triple down the right field line before sophomore Gisele Tapia walked and stole second. Crabtree drove in her fourth run of the day, scoring Davis on a fielder's choice. Duke would tally its next two runs off LSU mishaps as Bolan reached on a throwing error and graduate student Raine Wilson reached second on a dropped fly ball.

St. George and Duke's defense retired the Tigers in order in the first before the Blue Devils added three more runs onto the board in the top of the second. In the second, Davis struck out swinging but reached on a throwing error by the catcher. Tapia got the bats going for Duke, ripping a shot off back to the pitcher for an infield single before Bolan hit a two-run double to left field. Kavel picked up the second Blue Devil double of the inning, bringing Bolan across home plate to make it a 6-0 game.

Davis began the fourth with her second hit of the contest, reaching on an infield single to the shortstop. She'd quickly pick up her first stolen base of the season before Crabtree drew a walk. Kavel laid down a perfect bunt, safely reaching an uncovered first base and Wilson followed with a two-run single to left field to up Duke's lead, 8-0.

"It felt really good [contributing to the team], but I don't think that would've happened without the girls before me having really good at bats," said Wilson. "Being sixth in the lineup, I knew we were in the right spot. Having Bloomer, Brac and Coach Young in my ear letting me know to just have fun – I don't think I could've done it without them. I had major confidence in the people behind me, too. Today was just fun – that's all I can say."

After 11-straight outs for St. George, LSU garnered its first single in the bottom of the fourth with two outs. The Tigers followed with a walk and a three-run homer to close in on the Blue Devils lead (8-3). St. George regrouped in the fifth, earning back-to-back strikeouts before a fly-out ended the frame, but LSU would hit its second long ball of the game in the sixth (8-4).

Keeping her focus until the very last pitch, St. George sealed Duke's victory with her eighth punchout of the night. St. George hurled a complete game to tally her first win of the 2021 season, only letting up three hits in the program's second victory over a ranked opponent – St. George was in the circle for both.

"It was kind of weird, because I wasn't nervous," St. George said. "The coaches said last year we have to prove ourselves and this year we knew we were so capable. We're not supposed to beat them, because we're ranked 20 notches lower than them, but we knew that it is expected. I just had to trust my stuff and focus on one pitch at a time. With a team like LSU, we jumped out early and it makes my job easier and I'm so grateful the hitters got on top. I think the difference between LSU and Texas is last year I had to tell myself I deserve to be here. But with LSU, I know I deserve to be here and we're going to win this game, because we're good enough. Last year it was always a 'we might be good enough,' but now we know we're going to be in it until the last out and that's what happened."

The Blue Devils return for day two of the Tiger Classic tomorrow, playing McNeese at 11 a.m. ET before taking on Central Arkansas again at 1:30 p.m. ET.

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