Duke softball advances to super regional for first time in school history
Duke softball advanced the NCAA super regionals for the first time in school history with a 13-5 win over Georgia on Sunday to claim the Durham regional.
The No. 12 seeded Blue Devils (44-9) scored 12 unanswered runs, rallying from a 5-1 deficit. Duke was 0-8 when trailing after the fourth inning this season.
The Bulldogs (42-18) forced an extra game Sunday by winning 5-3 to start the day.
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“Really excited for what we’ve accomplished today as a program," said Duke coach Marissa Young. "Really proud of our players and the way they fought through adversity today. Obviously didn’t want to drop the first game but came back from behind in game two. Really separated themselves, and a lot of teams in the country wouldn’t have been able to gut through that."
Duke will now play at No. 5 UCLA (46-8) in the super regional. The best-of-three series starts Friday (11 p.m., ESPN2). Game 2 is Saturday (8:30 p.m., ESPN2). A third game if necessary would be played May 29.
“What I wanted for the program from day one was to be playing at the Women’s College World Series but I want it most for this senior group because they’ve been the ones here laying the foundation, putting in the work, and I want them to experience all of the enjoyment of playing at the highest level,” said Young.
Kristina Foreman was 2-for-2 with five RBIs for Duke in the victory. One of the hits was a three-run double in the decisive sixth inning.
Jala Wright (12-4) threw three perfect innings with four strikeouts in relief for Duke.
“This is what we wanted," said Wright. "This is the best feeling ever. Being a part of this team, being with these girls, this is what we worked hard for all season. And we’re not done yet.”
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke softball advances to super regional for first time in school history
