Duke earns Georgia rematch after outlasting Coastal Carolina at Durham regional
The long ball helped Duke softball win its game Friday, but it nearly ended the Blue Devils’ season Saturday.
But late-game heroics and composure kept the team alive for one more day.
The No. 14-seeded Blue Devils split their second day of NCAA Tournament competition. Georgia (33-20) and Coastal Carolina (42-19) tested Duke in every area: Pitching, hitting and resilience. Duke faltered once, losing to the Bulldogs, 8-2, in the first game. But, the Blue Devils responded in a big way in their second game of the day, pulling off a 16-8 comeback win in eight innings.
Duke (40-17) will face Georgia in the regional championship at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The Blue Devils must defeat the Bulldogs twice to earn a spot in the Super Regional round next weekend.
“A dogfight today. This is what the postseason is all about,” Duke head coach Marissa Young said. “Every game is going to be tough. Everybody’s fighting to keep their season going, and I’m just really proud of how our team stayed in it. A lot of moments where things didn’t go our way, but they just kept fighting for each other.”
The Blue Devils used an eight-run eighth to defeat the Sun Belt Conference champion Chanticleers after ending regulation tied 8-8. The team recorded five hits, drew a pair of walks and took advantage of a pair of Coastal Carolina miscues.
It’s hard to pick a top moment. Amiah Burgess hit a double to plate two go-ahead runs and take a 10-8 lead. Burgess and Jada Baker scored on a fielder’s choice and throwing error, with Baker sliding in under the tag at home. Ana Gold singled and ultimately scored on a passed ball. Aminah Vega also scored on a fielder’s choice. Coastal Carolina ultimately committed five errors, of which Duke used to score.
Burgess, only a sophomore, said having postseason experience helped when she stepped up to bat in the final frame. She trusted her own preparation and her teammates. They didn’t have their best day — in either game — but, in the end, Duke has at least one more day to play.
“I know that we can do anything, we can win with our backs against the wall,” Burgess said. “There’s never a doubt in my mind. There’s never a question.”
Duke struggled with the long ball against both of its opponents Saturday, giving up seven combined home runs. Coastal Carolina scored four and led 6-3 at the end of four.
The Chanticleers entered the tournament ranked No. 8 in Division I with 86 home runs. They ended their season with 93, and 13 games with at least three home runs.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs scored a trio of homers and have now scored at least two home runs in 16 games and three home runs in four games.
“It’s important when you’re facing a team that hits home runs not to ride the emotional wave of when they get hit,” Young said. “They’re going to happen, so we want to minimize the damage and not give away too much momentum. I felt like our pitchers responded after a big hit. They were able to control momentum and make adjustments, and that’s really key overall.”
Young admitted the team made uncharacteristic mistakes, especially in the circle. Dani Drogemuller struggled in Game 1 and was replaced by Cassidy Curd. In Game 2, Curd struggled to contain the Coastal bats, so Drogemuller entered to try and slow things down.
The duo gave up 22 hits and eight runs in each game. Both of their ERAs climbed after the two-game swing.
“This is a team effort. It’s all of us,” Burgess said. “No matter what, it’s a team effort when we win or when we lose.”
