Duke softball needed just one win in the bottom of the seventh for a second straight win over Virginia Tech. It took the Blue Devils only five batters to find it.
After a double and two walks from the previous two batters, senior Kelly Torres strode to the plate with the bases loaded and one out on the board. She swung at the second pitch that Virginia Tech’s Lyndsey Grein rifled her way, and the ball rocketed off her bat.
The low, flat long drive looked like a potential lineout to center at first, but the ball kept flying and flying. Hokies centerfielder Emma Ritter could only watch helplessly as it whizzed over her head, one-hopping off the wall and bringing home the winning run.
BLUE DEVILS WITH THE WALK-OFF WIN!!!!!!
A line drive to deep center from @kellyytorress to score Claire gives us the ranked dub! 😈 https://t.co/7m9Q63Ses6 pic.twitter.com/Xq6Mth18qX
— Duke Softball (@DukeSOFTBALL) March 30, 2024
The win, Duke’s eighth comeback of the year, improved the Blue Devils to 28-3 on the season and 9-2 in ACC play. They’ve taken two in a row from Virginia Tech, who hadn’t lost a conference game before the series began.
Duke trailed from the opening frame after the Hokies hung up four runs in the opening inning. Star Blue Devils pitcher Jala Wright got the start, and the senior had allowed just five earned runs in her 64 innings in the circle.
After an opening triple from Ritter, however, the Hokies set a different tone. Another Virginia Tech runner reached on a throwing error before Bre Peck launched a three-run homer into right-center field.
After another home run, a solo shot from Michelle Chatfield two batters later, Wright returned to usual form. She finished the outing with five strikeouts, six hits, and three earned runs in four innings.
The Blue Devils slowly pulled closer and closer throughout the evening. Second baseman Aminah Vega made the comeback possible, first smacking a two-run homer in the bottom of the first before blasting another two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game.
Right fielder Sarah Goddard pushed in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth, a one-out single that brought Torres around from second base, but the Hokies tied the game in the top of the seventh to set up Torres’ heroics.
The final game of the series takes place at 1 p.m. on Saturday.