For the second straight game, Missouri and Duke squared off in a thrilling pitchers’ duel in the Columbia Super Regional. This time, though, the stakes were higher with a spot in the Women’s College World Series on the line in an if-necessary game.
It took extra innings to do so, but ultimately, Duke broke through and came away with the victory.
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D’Auna Jennings led off the top of the ninth amid the scoreless tie – and she did so with the bang. She knocked the 1-2 pitch into the right field stands to, at long last, send a run across the plate and give Duke the 1-0 lead. The Blue Devils then got an insurance run on an RBI triple from Amiah Burgess and an RBI double from Ana Gold to make it a 3-0 advantage. The score ended up 4-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Duke then found itself three outs away from its first-ever WCWS appearance, and it got dicey as the first two Missouri runners reached. But Lillie Walker came in to relieve Cassidy Curd, but allowed a three-run homer to make it a 4-3 game. Curd then returned and slammed the door – meaning the Blue Devils, at long last, could celebrate.
Pitching and defense were the name of the game for both teams through the first part of the game. Duke only mustered three hits through the first six innings against Laurin Krings while Curd held Missouri to just two during that time. It led to a scoreless affair heading into the seventh inning.
Duke went down in order, giving Missouri a chance to walk it off in the bottom half. However, the Tigers once again failed to get the offense going, forcing extra innings.
In the ninth inning, at long last, Duke scored a run. Jennings’ second career home run gave the Blue Devils the lead en route to not only a Super Regional victory, but also the program’s first trip to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series in program history.
Duke, Missouri play three straight nail-biters in Super Regional
Fans from both teams were on the edges of their seats during this weekend’s Super Regional. In the opening game on Friday, Duke and Missouri were tied at 3-3 entering the fifth inning when Aminah Vega broke the tie with a two-run double to put the Blue Devils on top 5-3. Duke went on to get the 6-3 victory to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
In Game 2 on Saturday, Missouri struck first with a two-run single in the fourth inning before adding one more to grab a 3-0 lead. Duke scored once in the fifth, but never crossed the plate again as the Tigers went on to force a decisive elimination game on Sunday.
Now, the Blue Devils will head to Oklahoma City for the very first time and take on Oklahoma to start the WCWS.
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