Arizona lost both games in the Durham Regional Final on Sunday, needing just one win to advance to the Fayetteville Super Regional. This is the second consecutive year and the third time in the last four seasons that Arizona has failed to advance to the super regional.
Duke took command early and led...Jessica Oakland opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning for the second consecutive game. Oakland hit a sacrifice fly to score DAuna Jennings and put Duke ahead 1-0.
A Kairi Rodriguez two-run home run extended the Duke lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning. Aminah Vega added a sacrifice fly to extend the Duke lead to 3-0 later in the second inning. With Jennings on second base, Arizona got out of the inning with a five, six, three double-play.
Arizona got back in the game with RBI singles by Emma Kavanagh and Regan Shockey. The pivotal moment of the game came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Vega hit a fly to the wall in left center field, Shockey made an unbelievable play to catch it, but on impact with the wall, it came out of her glove for a two-run home run.
Our season concludes in Durham.#BearDown pic.twitter.com/qq3ljLVSbf
— Arizona Softball (@ArizonaSoftball) May 17, 2026
Duke powers their way to victory
Leyla Lamar hit another two-run HR later in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 7-2. Arizona kept battling. The Wildcats scored a run on a Duke error and a Kiki Escobar single to cut the deficit to 7-4 in the top of the fifth inning. Vega had an RBI double and Tyrina Jones hit a solo HR to extend the Duke lead to 9-4.
Arizona had three consecutive groundouts to the right side to end the game and the season. In the end, Arizona did not have enough pitching. After run-ruling Duke 10-1 on Saturday in the winner's bracket game. Arizona allowed 17 runs in the two-game Durham Regional Final.
Duke had 12 hits and four HRs in each of the games on Sunday. Arizona had 14 combined hits, but no HRs and one extra base hit in the two combined games on Sunday. Arizona star catcher Sydney Stewart had no hits in seven at-bats on Sunday and did not hit a HR in her final seven games of the season.
Barring transfers, Arizona will build its 2027 team around Shockey, second baseman Serenti Trice and third baseman Jenna Sniffen. Kavanagh will likely succeed Stewart as the starting catcher. Arizona needs to find pitching to add to its 2027 roster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google