Curd’s No-Hitter Sends Duke to ACC Championship Game

Friday, May 12

South Bend, Ind.

1:30 p.m.

Duke University

45-9

Clemson

46-9

Clemson

Duke

Curd’s No-Hitter Sends Duke to ACC Championship Game

5/12/2023 6:11:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Freshman pitcher Cassidy Curd threw her first career no-hitter on Friday afternoon to help lift No. 6 Duke (45-9, 19-5 ACC) past No. 9 Clemson (46-9, 18-6 ACC), 2-0, and into the ACC Championship game.

Curd became the first rookie to throw a no-no at the ACC tournament and recorded the sixth overall at the postseason event. She also tallied Duke's third no-hitter on the year and first solo seven-inning no-no in program history. The Blue Devils now have six overall no-hitters in school lore.

In Friday's semifinal at Melissa Cook Stadium, Curd sat down the first four batters before allowing her first baserunner on a hit-by-pitch. She settled back in retiring 18 of her final 19 batters faced, relinquishing just one additional hit-by-pitch to register her fifth complete game of the year. The Port St. Lucie, Fla., native added eight strikeouts to her already impressive outing in the circle.

With the win, Duke advances to its second ACC Championship game and first since 2021 when the Blue Devils claimed the title.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Junior Claire Davidson put the Blue Devils in front with an RBI-single in the bottom of the second to plate freshman Aminah Vega, who reached on a lead-off error.
The Blue Devils' offense continued to push ahead, using three infield singles to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the third. Sophomore Ana Gold then registered a sacrifice fly deep to right field, which allowed classmate and pinch runner Kelsey Zampa enough time to tag up and score to put Duke ahead 2-0. Zampa was pinch running for junior Francesca Frelick, who led off the frame with a single to the pitcher.
Curd did her part in the circle, sitting down 11 of the Tigers' final 12 batters, allowing just one baserunner to reach on a hit-by-pitch.
The Blue Devils' defense remained perfect in the field on Friday, including a diving catch from Frelick in the seventh inning to hold off Clemson's last-ditch efforts and preserve Curd's no-hitter and Duke's 2-0 victory.

NOTES

Curd earned her fourth consecutive victory in the circle and improves to 16-1 on the year.
Curd posted Duke's first solo no-hitter since junior Jala Wright shut out Army West Point, 8-0, in five innings on Feb. 24, 2022.
Gold and Davidson added to their season RBI total with their 54th and 27th of the year, respectively.
Freshman D'Auna Jennings, graduate student Deja Davis and senior Gisele Tapia extended their hitting streaks to 16-, five- and three-straight contests, respectively.

QUOTES

"I just take every game with the same approach. I want to have fun and really enjoy the time on the field with my teammates. I'm lucky enough to play alongside a great group of girls and we're so young and I think that's so powerful. I just want to go out there and play our game and I know we can dominate when doing that." – Freshman pitcher Cassidy Curd

UP NEXT
The Blue Devils advance to Saturday's title game against No. 3 Florida State. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Seminoles defeated No. 23 Virginia Tech, 9-1, in the first semifinal contest on Friday.

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