The bottom of the first brought some déjà vu to Thursday's game. With runners on first and second with no outs and Duke already on the board, the Blue Devils (27-11, 12-2 ACC) had jumped out to a 1-0 lead in familiar fashion. Just like the night before, Duke came out hot and Virginia found itself chasing early.
Then a ball shot through the gap. Just as the scorekeepers were ready to log a second RBI, sophomore infielder Alex Call dove and made the play, grabbing the second out and preventing another run from scoring. Her remarkable play seemed to convey that this game would be different from Thursday's.
At least, that is what it seemed like.
Through the first five innings the game remained tightly contested, with the spotlight falling squarely on the defense. And while the Cavaliers (31-5, 9-4 ACC) took a narrow lead in the top of the fifth, the Blue Devils slammed the door shut once again, handing Virginia its second loss of the series, 4-3.
Coach Joanna Hardin went with the pitching duo of freshman Taylor Smith and junior Julia Cuozzo. Smith was limited to two innings but held Duke to just one run, aided by an error, while allowing two hits. Cuozzo was then called upon for the next four innings, and her first two outings were efficient and scoreless, highlighted by a flash of the glove from Call behind her.
An RBI single from sophomore Madison Greene in the top of the fourth tied the game at 1-1 — a strong contribution from Greene in her ninth start of the season. Duke failed to answer as Cuozzo continued to deal.
Virginia pushed further ahead when junior infielder Bella Cabral drove a deep double into the right-center gap, putting the Cavaliers up 2-1. Unlike the night before, it was Virginia setting the tone, daring Duke to respond.
Duke responded immediately. A base-clearing two-run double put the Blue Devils back in front at 3-2, and Virginia struggled to generate any offense in the following inning. Duke added another run to stretch the lead to two heading into the seventh, leaving the Cavaliers needing a comeback they had yet to find all series.
Hats flipped backwards, rally caps on, the Cavaliers were reaching for any superstition they could find to will a comeback to life.
Greene, who had delivered the RBI earlier in the game, went down looking. Freshman outfielder Jaiden Griffith worked a walk to reach first, but senior infielder Jade Hylton popped out to second, leaving Virginia with two outs and a deficit that was beginning to feel insurmountable.
Duke walked another batter to put runners on first and second, and with two outs junior infielder Macee Eaton stepped into the three hole. Working the pitcher carefully, Eaton delivered a two-run double to right center, cutting the lead to one and breathing life back into the dugout.
But the rally caps were not enough. Duke retired the next batter on a called third strike, and just like that, the inning was over.
The loss drops Virginia to 0-2 against Duke on the series, an impossible hole to climb out of with just one game remaining. The Cavaliers have shown flashes of the team that entered the weekend ranked among the nation's best, but timely hitting and late-game execution have been elusive all series. With Saturday's finale now a must-win to salvage the weekend, Virginia will need to put together a complete game from top to bottom if they want to avoid being swept by the Blue Devils as they approach the final game April 4 at 1 p.m.
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