Duke softball a consensus top-10 team after 3-1 start

Duke softball won three of its four games during a season-opening tournament and found itself inside the top 10 of four different rankings.

After winning three of its four games during a season-opening tournament, the Duke softball team is one of the consensus top-10 teams in the country.

As of Tuesday, the Blue Devils were within the top 10 in the eyes of the USA TODAY/NFCA Coaches Poll, Softball America, D1 Softball, and USA Softball.

Duke is ranked highest by Softball America, where they are currently considered the No. 5 team in the country. D1 Softball has the Blue Devils seventh, and the Coaches Poll and USA Softball both have them 10th.

The Blue Devils’ strong start can be partially traced back to ACC Pitcher of the Week Jala Wright, who struck out 13 batters and allowed one earned run over 10.2 innings of work in three appearances.

On the offensive side, senior Claire Davidson led the way with five hits (including two doubles and a home run) and a team-high seven RBIs in 12 plate appearances.

Duke looks to extend its win streak to four games in a home game against North Dakota State on Wednesday.