DURHAM, N.C. – The 12th-ranked Duke softball team dropped its Saturday ACC doubleheader to No. 19 Virginia Tech, falling 7-3 in game one before suffering a 4-2 loss in eight innings at the Duke Softball Stadium.
The Blue Devils moved to 26-6 overall and 14-6 during conference play while the Hokies improved to 23-5 and 16-5.
Junior Deja Davis led the Blue Devils at the plate with a 3-for-6 performance on the day, including her fifth home run of the season. Davis’ long ball broke the Duke season home run record of 26 in 2020. Two Blue Devils collected a pair of hits as junior Kristina Foreman and sophomore Kamryn Jackson went 2-for-6.
Game 1: Virginia Tech 7, Duke 3
Virginia Tech opened the game with two consecutive singles and scored one run in the first frame. In the bottom of the second, junior Caroline Jacobsen sent a leadoff single through the left side and was brought home on a two-run blast from Davis to give the Blue Devils a 2-1 edge.
The Hokies tallied four runs on five singles in the third and scored another run in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead.
Senior Rachel Crabtree registered her second homer of the season and the 28th for the Blue Devils in the 2021 campaign, cutting the Hokies’ lead to 6-2.
Virginia Tech’s Kayla Bennett hit a solo home run to center field in the top of the seventh, plating the final run of the contest at 7-3.
Duke utilized three arms in its pitching staff as junior Shelby Walters (10-2) earned the loss through 2.2 innings in which she let up five runs, including four earned, while recording three strikeouts. Senior Brianna Butler pitched 0.2 frames before freshman Claire Davidson closed out the game with 3.2 innings in the circle as the rookie only let up two hits and collected two strikeouts.
Game 2: Virginia Tech 4, Duke 2 (8)
Following a Virginia Tech run in the top of the third, Foreman used a leadoff double to spark Duke’s offense in the bottom half of the frame. Junior Kyla Morris used a sacrifice bunt to advance Foreman who eventually tied the game at 1-1, scoring on a passed ball.
The Blue Devils jumped ahead in the fifth, taking a 2-1 lead as senior Sydney Bolan ripped a shot to right center. The Hokies quickly answered in the sixth, tripling to open the frame and using a sacrifice fly to knot it up at 2-2.
After both sides were retired in the seventh, Virginia Tech doubled and sent a two-run home run down the left field line to pull away, 4-2.
Foreman registered her second hit of the contest to begin the Blue Devils’ rally. With back-to-back outs, freshman Kelly Torres singles through the right side, moving Foreman up to second, but a groundout would end the ballgame.
Senior Peyton St. George (11-3) hurled the complete eight-inning affair in which she let up four runs while fanning out eight batters.
Duke and Virginia Tech close out its series tomorrow with a 3 p.m. matchup on ACC Network.
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