Duke Defeats Cardinal 6-4 in Thrilling Match

Durham, N.C. — No. 24 Duke beat No. 19 Stanford 6-4 this afternoon in Durham. The loss dropped Stanford to 18-9 overall and 8-5 in ACC play.

How the game unfolded

Duke struck first with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first. Stanford reliever Ava Bulanti entered with two outs and the bases loaded. She induced a flyout to end the inning without further damage.

Stanford answered in the top of the second. Joie Economides hit an opposite-field solo shot to right, her third of the season and 18th of her career. The homer extended a recent streak of long-ball production for the Cardinal.

Bulanti left the game after the third inning. She finished with 1.2 scoreless innings and one hit allowed. It was her first scoreless appearance since March 8 against Pitt.

The Cardinal took a 4-3 lead in the fourth. A three-run frame began with Sophia Jin’s second bunt single of the day. Taryn Kern was hit by a pitch for an RBI, River Mahler followed with an RBI single, and Jade Berry drew a bases-loaded walk.

Duke reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Two outfield miscues helped the rally when Jin lost a fly ball in the sun. An error in left allowed an unearned run to score and chased Duke starter Cassidy Curd.

The Blue Devils added a run in the fifth. A leadoff double, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly produced the insurance tally. Stanford could not mount a comeback over the final two innings.

Turning points

• Early three-run homer by Duke in the first inning.
• Stanford’s three-run fourth that chased Duke starter Cassidy Curd.
• Outfield miscues in the bottom of the fourth that swung momentum back to Duke.

Key performers and notes

Joie Economides finished 2-for-2 with a home run and two walks. The homer was her third of the season and 18th career long ball.

Freshman Sophia Jin made her first career start in centerfield. She went 2-for-3 and produced two bunt singles. Senior Kyra Chan extended her hitting streak to seven games with a first-inning double.

Freshman Ava Bulanti recorded 1.2 scoreless innings in relief. That outing matched her best recent form since early March.

What’s next

The teams meet again tomorrow in Durham. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. PT with the game airing on ACC Network.

Filmogaz.com will continue coverage of the series and provide updates after the rematch. The 6-4 result favored Duke in a thrilling match highlighted by late defensive swings.