How Duke softball got even stronger, thanks to a mother and her daughter
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- Marissa Young is Duke’s head coach and mother of outfielder Layla Lamar.
- Layla Lamar hit a two-RBI home run and went 3-for-4 in Duke’s regional win.
- Lamar played one season at Florida before transferring to Duke.
One on, two outs.
Tennessee pinch hitter Makenzie Butt stepped to plate. On a 3-2 count in an eight-pitch at-bat, Butt hit a deep ball to right field. It looked, off the bat, like the Lady Vols would tie the game at five with a third home run of the inning.
Layla Lamar said, “Not so fast.”
The transfer right fielder ended the inning with a routine catch at the warning track to maintain Duke’s lead. She made a diving play in the top of the seventh to record the first out. The Blue Devils held on for a 6-3 win.
This past weekend, Lamar played a key role in Duke’s NCAA Tournament regional win, hitting a two-run home run and going 3-for-4 in Duke’s winner-take-all finale.
These were scenes Duke head coach Marissa Young was used to watching, but not exactly the kind she ever expected to witness in person at this level, from this player.
A year ago, Lamar patrolled the outfield for Florida in the SEC.
This year, Lamar — Young’s eldest daughter — came home, transferring to play for her mother at Duke. Young’s younger daughter, Jolyna, is a freshman outfielder at UCLA.
“There were so many days where I wondered if I was doing it right, because I spent so much time at work and away from them,” Young said Sunday. “It was a sacrifice to them. To see them get themselves to where they are through their own hard work and their journey, I’m just really proud.”
‘This is where I needed to be’
The NCAA’s recruiting rules used to let coaches to seek talent early, and Lamar received recognition from a young age. She committed to Florida in the sixth grade, one season after the Gators finished national runners-up.
She got to Gainesville almost seven years later.
Despite her versatility, she competed alongside veterans like Kendra Falby, Kenleigh Cahalan, Reagan Walsh and Korbe Otis, all of whom earned All-SEC or All-America honors. It’s hard to crack a lineup with that level of talent and experience. Lamar made 16 appearances, recording four hits, four RBI and three runs, calling 2025 “a big growing year.”
Lamar could have stayed and possibly started this year. Instead, she decided Florida wasn’t where she needed to be.
On June 2, 2025, Lamar announced she was entering the transfer portal. She committed to Duke — and her mom — on July 14.
Her father, James, suffered a heart attack in 2023 that required a heart transplant and foot amputation. He has made significant strides in the past three years. His health was a consideration, but Lamar didn’t base her decision to transfer solely on that.
“I’m someone who’s OK being away from home. It wasn’t really like I needed to come home, so I’m just going to choose Duke,” Lamar said Sunday. “I really did take my time and explore other options, but I knew this is where I needed to be, and that this was one of the best programs in the country.”
Lamar said it’s a blessing to work with associate head coaches Olivia Watkins and Taylor Wike. Several of her teammates — including Aminah Vega — grew up playing travel ball together, too. It’s fun to achieve accomplishments together, like they did as children.
“I literally thank God every day that I get to just be here and play the game that I love,” Lamar said.
In her first season at Duke, Lamar has provided a spark at the plate and in the outfield. She holds a .393 batting average and ranks top 5 on the team for runs scored (41), hits (64), doubles (10), home runs (15), RBI (46) and walks drawn (32). Lamar has only committed two errors.
Duke is 15-5 when the sophomore reaches base at least three times in a game, and 8-3 when she hits a home run.
“I’m happy to see her happy again and loving the game,” Youngs said. “She’s got great relationships with her coaches and her teammates. I think her performance is showing that. I think she has a bright future here. Obviously, I’m thankful for our mother-daughter relationship, and I’m glad she’s helping us win games.”
‘Where we want to be’
Duke softball is often overlooked on the national stage, despite its meteoric rise since its inception.
Nine years in, it has made six straight NCAA Tournament appearances, hosted a regional in five consecutive seasons, advanced to supers four times in the past five years and made the Women’s College World Series.
It plays Arkansas (45-11) in Fayetteville this weekend for a best-of-three Super Regional series. Duke is the lone ACC team remaining. The Blue Devils (43-15) will be the underdog against a stacked Razorbacks team, which won its series’ against Texas, Mississippi State, Florida, Georgia. They must win two games to make their second WCWS appearance.
Game 1 is scheduled for noon Friday on ESPNU. Game 2 is set for 5 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2.
“This is where we want to be in some ways,” Young said. “I think our kids continue to play with the chip on their shoulder. They were preseason ranked fifth or sixth in the conference, so for us to be at this point, we’re like,’Here we are. This is what we’re about,’ and they just want to finish in OKC.”
