Duke Scores School Record 11 Runs, Clinches Series at GT

Saturday, March 30

Atlanta

1:00 PM

Duke University

16-19, 7-4

Georgia Tech

22-15, 5-6

Duke

Georgia Tech

Duke Scores School Record 11 Runs, Clinches Series at GT

3/30/2019 5:21:00 PM | Softball

Box Score SB: Highlights - GT Box Score (PDF)Season Stats Box Score (HTML)

By: Duke Sports Information

ATLANTA, Ga. – For the second time in as many days, the Duke Blue Devils (16-19, 7-4 ACC) turned in a monster performance at the plate, setting multiple program records as they defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (22-15, 5-6 ACC), 11-2, to clinch their third-straight ACC series win.

After setting the program mark for hits in a single game on Friday, the Blue Devils scored double digits for the first time in program history on Saturday with 11 runs. Four of those tallies came off a school record three home runs, as Duke recorded a program-best 10 RBI in the contest. The Blue Devils will enter Sunday's series finale with four home runs on the weekend, a program best for homers in an ACC series.

Duke once again made its presence known early, scoring three runs in the first inning after opening Friday's match with five scores. After Marissa Gagliano reached on a Tech throwing error and advanced to second to lead things off, Rachel Abboud would reach with one out to put runners on the corners. The Blue Devils would execute a double steal to plate the first run, as Gagliano came home to make it 1-0. Kristina Foreman would follow with a single to set up a Jameson Kavel RBI single to center to push the lead to 2-0.

The third and final run of the frame came a batter later, as Raine Wilson pushed home Foreman with a base hit. Abboud ran the score up to 4-0 in the next inning with a single up the middle after Jazmine Moreno and Gagliano opened the third with a pair of one-out base hits. Georgia Tech would pull two back in the home half of the frame thanks to a trio of hits and a sacrifice fly, cutting the Blue Devils' lead to 5-2.

Duke's first of three homers came in the third, as Caroline Jacobsen smashed a moonshot over the scoreboard in left for her second bomb of the series to make it a 5-0 ballgame. An inning later, the Blue Devils opened the flood gates with two more home runs courtesy of Deja Davis and Foreman. Davis sent took the first pitch she saw over the wall in right for a two-run blast, marking the first homer of her softball career. Foreman followed two batters later with a bomb to left center, making the Blue Devil lead 8-2 through four.

Davis and Abboud put the final touches on the run-rule victory in the top of the sixth with two base hits. Davis would drive home Moreno to make it 9-2. Abboud would set the program record by pushing the 10^th and 11^th runs home, scoring Davis and Gagliano, who finished the game with a school-best four runs scored on the day.

Brianna Butler started for the fourth-straight game, going 2.1 innings with two strikeouts before giving way to Amelia Wiercioch (3-4), who tossed 2.2 innings and scattered four hits with two strikeouts in the win. Peyton St. George closed out the final inning of play, securing the win by striking out two of the three batters faced.

Duke finished the day with 13 hits and have recorded 10-plus hits in four-straight games for the first time in program history (49 total in that stretch). Five different Blue Devils recorded multi-hit games, while the 1-4 spots in the Duke order went 8-for-15 with nine runs scored, seven driven in, two home runs and a double. Davis drove in a career-high three runs on the day while tallying her team-leading eighth multi-hit contest. Abboud also recorded two hits and three RBI. Gagliano, Foreman and Moreno rounded out Duke's multi-hit performers on Saturday. The Duke offense also finished with zero strikeouts, the third time they have done so this season.

The Blue Devils will go for their first sweep of the season on Sunday, as the two sides will face off in the series finale at 1 p.m. ET. That contest will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra, which fans can access through WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.

For more information on Duke softball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for “DukeSoftball”. You can also find all-access coverage of all Duke athletic programs on SnapChat by searching for “dukeathletics”.

Extra Bases

For the first time in program history, the Blue Devils recorded double-digit runs in a game, scoring a school record 11 runs.
Duke set a program record with three home runs in Saturday's contest, receiving bombs from Caroline Jacobsen, Deja Davis and Kristina Foreman. The Blue Devils had hit two home runs in three games prior to Saturday, including a Feb. 13 victory at Campbell this season.
The Blue Devils have hit four home runs on the weekend, the most in an ACC series in program history.
Davis' home run was the first of her softball career, while Jacobsen's is her team-leading fifth of the season. Jacobsen is one away from tying the program's single-season mark of six, set last season by Raine Wilson.
Jacobsen's home run also ties her career-best hitting streak of four-straight games.
The 1-4 spots of the Duke batting order finished the day a combined 8-for-15 with nine runs scored, seven runs driven in, two home runs and a double.
The Blue Devils drove in a program-record 10 runs in the win as well.
Duke has earned double-digit hits for the fourth-straight game and have accumulated 49 total hits during that stretch.
For the third time this season, the Blue Devils did not strike out in a game. They had five games in all of 2018 with zero strikeouts.
Davis tallied her eighth multi-hit game of the season on Saturday, which leads the team. She also set a career mark with three RBI in the game.
Marissa Gagliano scored four runs on Saturday, a Duke softball single-game record.
With her single in the first, Kristina Foreman upped her career-high hitting streak to five-straight games.
Rachel Abboud upped her career-high reached base safely streak to 22-straight games with her fielder's choice in the first. With her RBI single in the second, Abboud has set a career high with a six-game hitting streak.