by DURHAM – Three home runs, including two off the bat of senior Claire Davidson, highlighted Duke’s 6-1 victory and a series sweep over North Carolina on Sunday night at Duke Softball Stadium.
The Blue Devils (33-3, 13-2 ACC) remain unbeaten at home with a 20-0 record and have now swept three of their opening five ACC series’. North Carolina drops to 24-13 overall and 6-9 in conference play.
Davidson finished her impressive showing at the plate going 2-or-3 with four RBI, two runs scored and one walk. Sophomore Aminah Vega recorded Duke’s third long ball in the game, while senior Kelly Torres added two hits.
Senior pitcher Lillie Walker tallied her eighth win of the season after coming in for relief of starter Dani Drogemuller. Walker allowed just one hit in her 2.1 innings of work.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Davidson put the Blue Devils on the board early with a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the first inning.
- She added her second long ball in the fourth frame when she went yard over the right center fence to score graduate student Gisele Tapia and redshirt sophomore Jada Baker, who had reached on a fielder’s choice and walk earlier in the inning.
- Vega followed suit during the ensuing at bat when she notched her ninth home run of the season over the right field wall to create a 5-0 gap between the teams.
- The Tar Heels earned one run back in the fifth after Destiny Middleton sent a bases loaded two-out single through the left side, but Walker came in to fan the final batter of the inning and halt North Carolina’s rally.
- Duke added one last run in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly from junior Ana Gold to score sophomore Aleyah Terrell, who came in to pinch run for Tapia.
