No. 21 Duke Outlasts Louisville in Extras; Claims Fourth ACC Series

Sunday, April 18

Louisville, Ky.

12 p.m.

Duke University

30-10, 0

Louisville

16-20, 0

Duke

Louisville

No. 21 Duke Outlasts Louisville in Extras; Claims Fourth ACC Series

4/18/2021 3:02:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 21 Duke softball team used three hits to score the game-winning run in the eighth inning as the Blue Devils captured the series at Louisville with a 5-4 victory on Sunday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium.

Working with two outs on the board, Duke saw singles from juniors Kyla Morris and Deja Davis before sophomore Gisele Tapia sent an RBI single through the middle to plate the final run at 5-4. Senior pitcher Peyton St. George's seventh strikeout stranded two Louisville runners for the last out of the contest.

The Blue Devils (30-10, 18-10 ACC) picked up their 30th win of 2021, marking the most in a single season as they surpassed 29 in 2018. Duke held off the Cardinals (16-20, 10-15) to claim its fourth conference series of the year.

Four Blue Devils garnered two hits on the day in Morris, Tapia and seniors Jameson Kavel and Sydney Bolan. Kavel and Bolan both doubled while Bolan's two RBIs led the team.

Duke continued its offensive production early on, using three hits to score two runs in the opening frame. Tapia singled down the left field line and was brought home on Kavel's 13th double of the 2021 campaign. Bolan dropped a ball over the shortstop's head for an RBI single (2-0).

In the third inning, Kavel reached base on a fielder's choice and advanced to third on a stolen base, followed by a wild pitch. She was brought home on a two-run double from Bolan which upped Duke's advantage to 4-0.

Louisville scored in the fourth and seventh innings with a pair of two-run home runs from Taylor Roby and Rebecca Chung.

Junior Shelby Walters started in the circle and threw five innings in which she let up a pair of hits while fanning three batters. St. George (12-6) tallied her 12th win of the season, pitching three frames with three hits and seven strikeouts.

Duke returns to action next weekend as the Blue Devils host North Carolina for a four-game series, April 23-25, at the Duke Softball Stadium. All games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

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