No. 6/4 Duke Prevails 5-3 in Series Finale

Sunday, March 24

LOUISVILLE, KY

12:00 PM

University of Louisville

20-12, 0

Duke

26-3, 0

Duke

Louisville

March 24, 2024 | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

A seventh-inning rally falls short in 5-3 loss to No. 6/4/ Duke

By: Sara Miller

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A seventh inning rally came up short as the University of Louisville softball team fell 5-3 to No. 6/4 Duke in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium. The Cardinals (20-12, 1-5 ACC) will conclude their four-game home stand, hosting Indiana University (22-8) on Tuesday evening with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. ET and airing on ACC Network.

Duke (26-3, 7-2 ACC) jumped on the board early, scoring one run in the top of the first. D'Auna Jennings drew a one-out walk, stole second and crossed the plate on Aminah Vega's RBI hit.

The Blue Devils took advantage of two hits and three errors to add to their lead in the second. With three on and no one out, Jada Baker doubled to right field allowing two runners to cross the plate. Francesca Frelick advanced to third on a sacrifice fly before coming home on a throwing error to make the score 4-0. After two scoreless innings, Vega sent a solo home run over the left field fence to extend Duke's lead to 5-0.

The Cards put a run on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Ally Alexander and Kiley Goff hit back-to-back singles to put two runners on. One out later, Paige Geraghty singled to the pitcher and forced a throwing error to allow Louisville's first run to cross the plate.

Down four in the bottom of the seventh, Alexander was hit by a pitch and Ava Venturelli earned a walk to start the inning. Daisy Hess and Riley Frizell hit back-to-back two out RBI singles to cut the Blue Devils' lead by two. With the tying run on first, Duke starting pitcher Jala Wright re-entered the game and delivered a strikeout to keep the score at 5-3 as Duke clinched the series.

Louisville was led at the plate by Frizell who went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Alyssa Zabala (13-6) took the loss, giving up four runs, three earned.

Wright (11-0) picked up the win, surrendering one hit and one walk, while striking out seven in 4.1 innings. Vega went 2-for-4 with a home run to pace the Blue Devils offensively.