DURHAM – No. 13 Duke softball (18-3, 3-0 ACC) earned its third ranked win of the season, defeating No. 25 Charlotte, 9-1, in five innings on Wednesday night at Duke Softball Stadium.
Peyton St. George delivered another complete game for her third in her last four games, allowing just one run and two hits over five innings against the 49ers (18-4, 0-0 C-USA), while striking out nine. On offense, the Blue Devils scored in four of the five innings, including four runs in the fourth to help put the game out of reach.
The Blue Devils were quick to jump on 49ers starter Amelia Wiercioch, as
Jameson Kavel singled in the first inning to set up
Caroline Jacobsen. Jacobsen laced a ball down the right field line, scoring Kavel from first base, while advancing to second following an obstruction call on the Charlotte first baseman.
After St. George polished off the third inning with two strikeouts, the Blue Devils added on to the lead.
Ana Gold drew a walk and
Rachel Crabtree notched a single, setting the table for Kavel. The reigning ACC Co-Player of the Week drilled a ball to the deepest part of center field, scoring both runners and extending the lead to 3-0.
Charlotte got a run back off a solo home run in the fourth inning to make it 3-1, but the Blue Devils quickly stymied any rally in the bottom half of the frame. The Blue Devils quickly got two runners into scoring position on a double steal by
Kelsey Zampa and
Kamryn Jackson and
Kyla Morris drove in one of them on an RBI single for a 4-1 lead.
Gold would break the game open with a near home run off the center field wall that turned into a two-run triple, before she was driven in on a sacrifice fly by Crabtree to make it 7-1.
In the fifth inning,
Taylor Krapf got things started with a double and would move up to third base on a fly out.
Sarah Goddard was next to the plate as a pinch hitter and ripped the first pitch she saw for an RBI single to make it 8-1. After a Morris double moved Goddard to third base,
Leah Jarnac ended the game with an RBI single, to make it 9-1.
The Blue Devils will be back in action on Friday, hosting NC State for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. Both games of the doubleheader will be streamed via ACC Network Extra.
Notes:
- With the win, the Blue Devils have run-ruled a ranked opponent for the first time in program history.
- Jacobsen extended her season-opening on-base streak to 21 games, matching the second longest streak in program history, set by Deja Davis last year.
- St. George matched her season-high with nine strikeouts on the night.
- With those nine strikeouts, St. George now owns 12 of the 16 games with nine or more strikeouts by a single pitcher in program history.
- Gold tallied just the second triple of the season by the Blue Devils in the win.
- Gisele Tapia played in her 100th game as a Blue Devil on Wednesday.
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