Duke’s NCAA Championship Run Ends in Super Regionals

Saturday, May 23

Fayetteville, Ark.

5 p.m.

Duke University

43-17

Arkansas

47-11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Arkansas	2	0	0	2	6	10	12	0
Duke	0	0	0	2	0	2	3	0

pregame huddle at Arkansas game two of Super Regionals

Duke’s NCAA Championship Run Ends in Super Regionals

5/23/2026 11:22:00 PM | Softball

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A record-setting season for Duke softball (43-17) came to an end Saturday in the second game of the NCAA Super Regionals after the Blue Devils fell to Arkansas (47-11), 10-2, in five innings at Bogle Park.

Graduate student Tyrina Jones and redshirt juniors Jessica Oakland and Kairi Rodriguez accounted for the Blue Devils' three hits on the night. Jones also plated Duke's two runs with her two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth.

Senior Cassidy Curd earned her fifth start of the postseason and worked the first 3.0 innings. The lefty allowed two runs while scattering five hits and striking out one. Curd closes out the year with a 17-5 record after 37 appearances in the circle.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Razorbacks' Tianna Bell opened the scoring in the top of the first with her two-run blast to left field.
The teams traded scoreless frames in the second and third inning before Arkansas loaded the bases on a single up the middle and a pair of walks. Atalyia Rijo drilled a double down the first base line to knock in two additional runs, extending the Hogs' lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth.
Oakland broke through with the Blue Devils' first hit in the home half. Jones followed with a two-run shot over the left field fence, trimming the Arkansas lead to 4-2.
Arkansas answered in the top of the fifth, adding six runs on five hits. Ella McDowell delivered a two-run single up the middle before Karlie Davison connected on a three-run home run to right center to stretch the lead to 10-2.
The Blue Devils tried to rally back with a one-out walk from Rodriguez and an infield single by graduate student Jada Baker but Arkansas recorded the final two outs to secure the run-rule victory.

NOTES

Sophomore Mallory Wheeler made her Super Regional debut, working one relief inning in the top of the fourth.
Jones recorded her 24th homer of the season and caps her five-year career with 39 total long balls.
Senior Aminah Vega matched classmate D'Auna Jennings' single-season record with her .462 batting average.
The Blue Devils closed out the season with program-highs in hits (587), runs (445), doubles (101), home runs (117) and RBI (415).
Duke is now 19-14 in NCAA Championship action, outscoring its opponents, 181-135.