Blue Devils Sweep Day Two of Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

Friday, February 9

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

11 a.m.

Duke University

1-1

Iowa State

1-1

Duke

Iowa State

Jala Wright pitching vs. Nebraska Puerto Vallarta College Challenge 2024

Blue Devils Sweep Day Two of Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

2/9/2024 8:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – No. 11 Duke softball opened the day with a 16-3 run-rule victory over Iowa State before handing No. 18 Nebraska its second loss of the season, 6-1, on day two of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, hosted by Triple Crown Sports.

Senior Claire Davidson led the way with her bat in the two games, finishing 4-for-7 with two doubles, three runs and a career-high six RBI on the day. Four of Davidson's six RBI came from her second career grand slam in the third inning against Iowa State.

Classmate Jala Wright dominated inside the circle against No. 18 Nebraska after working all seven innings and sitting down 21 of 22 batters she faced. The Charlotte, N.C., native, fanned eight during the contest and surrendered just one hit, a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. IOWA STATE

The Blue Devils came out firing against the Cyclones, scoring seven runs off eight hits in the first two innings.
Senior Claire Davidson kept the momentum going in the third inning by crushing a grand slam over the right field wall to extend the Blue Devils' lead to 12-2.
Duke added in two more runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by freshman Amiah Burgess's solo home run in her first collegiate plate appearance.
Davidson opened the fifth inning with a double to right field before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Sophomore Aminah Vega drove in Davidson in the following at bat with an RBI-single to right field.
Senior Sarah Goddard ripped a single into right field to score Vega just two batters later and round out Duke's 16 runs.

NOTES VS. IOWA STATE

Graduate transfer Dani Drogemuller made her Blue Devil debut inside the circle, earning the start and tossing 2.1 innings with five strikeouts.
Sophomore Sophie Garner-MacKinnon also saw action in the circle, working 2.2 innings while striking out two.
Davidson's six RBI during the contest ranks second all-time in Duke's single-game record books.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. NO. 18 NEBRASKA

Duke carried the same energy into the second game of the day against No. 18 Nebraska, posting a pair of runs in the opening frame for an early 2-0 lead.
Junior Kelsey Zampa added another run to the board in the top of the third after sending a single down the left field line to bring in classmate Ana Gold, who reached on a hit by pitch.
Wright continued to hold off the Nebraska offense while Duke tacked on two additional runs in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 5-0.
Redshirt-sophomore Jada Baker sent out a solo home run in the sixth to tally the Blue Devils' sixth and final run.
The Cornhuskers broke up Wright's no-hitter in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot off the bat of Billie Andrews to put up their lone run.

NOTES VS. NEBRASKA

Zampa led the offense in the nightcap against the Cornhuskers, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Baker tallied her second career home run with a solo blast out of left field.
Burgess finished 2-for-2 in her first two games as a Blue Devil after recording an infield single in the top of the seventh.

UP NEXT
The Blue Devils close out action in Mexico on Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. CT) matchup with Long Beach State.

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