Duke Shuts Out Elon, 3-0

Wednesday, March 17

Elon, N.C.

5:30 p.m.

Duke University

20-1

Elon

6-8

Duke

Elon

3/17/2021 8:06:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

ELON, N.C. – No. 14 Duke notched its 20th win of the season with a 3-0 shutout victory over Elon on the road at Hunt Softball Park Wednesday evening. With the win, the Blue Devils improve to 20-1 and the Phoenix fall to 6-8.

Junior Deja Davis led Duke at the plate, turning in a 2-for-3 performance with an RBI while senior pitcher Brianna Butler recorded her third victory of the season.

Davis began the evening's contest with a leadoff single over the second baseman's head in the first inning. She picked up her sixth stolen base and was nearly brought home on a deep fly ball from senior Jameson Kavel, but Elon was there to make the final out of the frame. In the bottom half, Davis helped Duke end the inning as the shortstop turned a double play – her third of the 2021 campaign.

For the third-straight game, Kristina Foreman sent a solo shot out of the park as the junior hit her fifth home run of the season to left center, giving Duke a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth.

Entering to pinch hit, senior Sydney Bolan singled up the middle and freshman Francesca Frelick came back into the game to run at first. Senior Kendyl Lange laid down a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher, moving Frelick to second. Davis garnered her second hit of the day with an RBI single to left and advanced to second on a field error as Duke expanded its lead to 2-0.

Elon notched its first hit in the fifth, but Butler ended the Phoenix threat with her third punchout of the game to strand the runner on third.

Sophomore Kamryn Jackson opened the sixth inning with a leadoff walk and Kavel moved her up a base with a single to left field. Foreman was hit by a pitch to load the bases for junior Caroline Jacobsen who brought Duke's third run across the plate with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field (3-0).

Freshman Claire Davidson earned the start in the circle, throwing 3.2 innings without giving up a hit and recording one strikeout. Butler dealt 3.1 frames in which she fanned seven batters – tying her season high – to improve to 3-1 on the year.

The Blue Devils return to league action and begin their four-game series against Syracuse on Friday, March 19, at the Duke Softball Stadium. First pitch for Friday's contest is slated for 5 p.m. and will be available to watch on ACC Network Extra. The other three games of the weekend will be nationally televised on ACC Network.

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