Duke softball beats South Carolina by mercy rule to advance to Durham Regional Final

The Blue Devils, led by the first career home run from leadoff star D’Auna Jennings, needed only six innings to dispatch the Gamecocks on Saturday.

For the fourth straight year, the Duke softball team advanced to the Regional Final after an 8-0 Saturday win over South Carolina.

After two-and-a-half scoreless innings to start the game, sophomore centerfielder D’Auna Jennings hit her first collegiate home run in the bottom of the third to put the Blue Devils on the board. She threw her arms into the air as she rounded the bases, embracing teammate Claire Davidson once she returned to the plate.

One inning later, first baseman Gisele Tapia smacked a single up the middle to drive home two more runs. However, it was the sixth (and final) inning that really drove home the final margin.

With the Blue Devils only leading by three, Jada Baker started the run with a one-out double. With the bases loaded and two outs a few at-bats later, Davidson did her thing. She pushed a single through to left-center for a two-run single, pushing the lead out to five.

After a walk from Aminah Vega loaded the bases once again, the Gamecocks walked two more Blue Devils in a row for back-to-back free runs. One Kelly Torres single later, and Duke met the run-rule requirement with an eight-run advantage.

Jala Wright, the ACC Pitcher of the Year, did her usual work in the circle. In her 19th win of the season, she dealt six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out nine batters. Through two games of regional action thus far, Wright has struck out 12 batters and allowed five baserunners in 11 innings.

The win gives Duke 49 triumphs this season, the single-season program record, and moves the Blue Devils within one win of a third straight Super Regional appearance. Since regionals are double-elimination tournaments, they’ll need to lose twice in a row to whoever advances from the loser’s bracket to not advance.