The Duke softball team improved to 6-1 on its young season on Friday night with its second win of the day, a 6-0 win over Florida International.
After a ho-hum offensive display through the first six innings against Rutgers during the Blue Devils’ first game of the day, Duke’s bats took no time coming alive against the Golden Panthers.
Star leadoff hitter D’Auna Jennings singled in the opening at-bat. Ana Gold, who became the first Blue Devil to hit two grand slams in the same game on Wednesday against North Dakota State, tacked another RBI onto her season total with a double to plate Jennings before the first out.
Sophomore Aminah Vega doubled later in the inning to bring home Gold and give Duke its second run of the opening inning. Vega plated a second RBI in the fourth inning, a sacrifice fly, to increase her season total to 11, second on the team only to Gold’s 13.
The second inning went just as well, with shortstop Jada Baker lacing a double into left field to bring home Amiah Burgess. Jennings added to her excellent start with another single immediately after, and Baker scored after a wild throw on the ensuing defensive play.
After not tallying a hit in any of her four at-bats against Rutgers, Jennings finished the evening game with three hits in three plate appearances, scoring twice. It was her second perfect performance in Duke’s past three games as the sophomore went 2-2 during the NDSU victory.
The Blue Devils surged out to a 4-0 lead through two innings, and that proved to be more than enough run support for Cassidy Curd and Lillie Walker in the circle.
Curd delivered for the first three innings, allowing two hits but no runs while striking out five batters. Walker took over at the start of the fourth and made it the rest of the way home, also allowing two hits and striking out six batters herself in the tandem shutout.
The Golden Panthers never had more than four at-bats in any inning as the two Duke pitchers refused to let them gain any steam.
The Blue Devils tacked on two more insurance runs in the sixth inning, first an RBI single from senior Claire Davidson before Vega’s sacrifice fly.
Duke didn’t score in the final three innings, but with Curd and Walker’s efforts on the mound, it didn’t need to. The 6-0 margin held for the rest of the game to give the Blue Devils their sixth straight win.
The Duke softball team puts its lengthening win streak on the line again on Saturday morning against Army.