Softball America: 2024 Durham Regional HQ
Welcome to Durham. The ACC champs will try to make their first trip to the Women’s College World Series.
Durham Regional Schedule
Broadcast team: Pam Ward, Jenny Dalton Hill
*All times Eastern
- Friday, May 17
- South Carolina 2, Utah 1
- Alana Vawter got the win against Mariah Lopez in the pitcher’s duel. Aniyah Black’s two-out RBI single in the third proved to be the difference for the Gamecocks.
- No. 10 seed Duke 6, Morgan State 1
- The Blue Devils didn’t have many answers against Morgan State’s starter Emily Raubuch. Gisele Tapia finally broke through with a solo shot in the fifth. Claire Davidson and Aminah Vega went back-to-back to break it open. Davidson drove in two more in the seventh.
- South Carolina 2, Utah 1
- Saturday, May 18
- No. 10 seed Duke 8, South Carolina 0 (F/6)
- Jala Wright continues to shut out opposing offenses. Wright allowed just two hits and struck out nine in the 8-0 victory. The Blue Devils received some power from an unexpected source as D’Auna Jennings blasted her first career home run to take a 1-0 lead. Duke tacked on two more runs on a Gisele Tapia single in the fourth and ended the game in run-rule fashion, scoring five in the bottom of the sixth to advance to Sunday.
- Defensive gem: South Carolina’s Marissa Gonzalez made an impressive catch in the 6th to rob Kelly Torres of a home run.
- Utah 1, Morgan State 0 (Morgan State eliminated)
- This one had a lengthy delay after Utah took a 1-0 lead off of Abby Dayton bunt single into the seventh. There was plenty of drama though. Mariah Lopez walked the first batter of the inning. Then Ky’Anah Lake appeared to double but the runner left first early after review, reveresing the second and third opportunity. Lopez then closed the game without much trouble.
- Sunday, May 19
- South Carolina 5, Utah 1 (Utah eliminated)
- The South Carolina pitching staff typically needs one crooked number to provide a win. The Gamecocks couldn’t draw up a better start. They loaded the bases on two singles and a walk for Aniyah Black. The South Carolina slugger lifted a grand slam. The Gamecocks added another run despite only having two more hits the rest of the way. Jori Heard and Alana Vawter used the run support to let the defense work behind them. The pitching duo held Utah to one run despite not having a single strikeout.
- No. 10 Duke 10, South Carolina 1
- An eight-run seventh inning propelled the Blue Devils to their third-straight regional victory. Tenth-seeded Duke earned a 10-1 win over South Carolina, with Cassidy Curd starting and allowing one run on three hits. Jala Wright entered in the fifth and shut down the Gamecocks, retiring eight of the ten batters she faced.Francesca Frelick picked a good time to capture her first hit of the regional, putting Duke up 2-0 in the fourth. The Blue Devils rallied late in the game, putting together a 35-minute top of the seventh inning to advance to the Super Regionals.
Durham Regional Stats
- South Carolina 5, Utah 1 (Utah eliminated)
- No. 10 seed Duke 8, South Carolina 0 (F/6)
| Team (Record) | Scoring (Rank) | ERA (Rank) | FLD % (Rank) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke (47-6) | 6.81 (7th) | 1.54 (3rd) | 0.976 (12th) |
| South Carolina (34-22) | 4.00 (175th) | 2.07 (15th) | 0.967 (92nd) |
| Utah (34-20) | 4.91 (79th) | 3.04 (88th) | 0.958 (203rd) |
| Morgan State (35-18) | 4.21 (151st) | 2.22 (21st) | 0.961 (165th) |
Durham Regional Stars
No. 10 Duke (ACC Regular Season and Tournament Champs)
- RF Claire Davidson
- 2B Aminah Vega
- RHP Jala Wright
- LHP Cassidy Curd
2-seed South Carolina (SEC At-Large Bid)
- CF Riley Blampied
- RHP Alana Vawter
- RHP Sage Mardjetko
- RHP Jori Heard
3-seed Utah (Pac-12 At-Large Bid)
- CF Abby Dayton
- LF Haley Denning
- 1B Kaylah Nelsen
- LHP Mariah Lopez
4-seed Morgan State (MEAC Regular Season and Tournament Champs)
- RF Amber Rivas
- RHP/UTL Victoria Fletcher
- RHP/UTL Ellie Bostedt
- LHP Emily Raubuch
