Skip to main content
Join
Team Avatar
DukeBlue Devils

Duke's Cassidy Curd throws first no-hitter by a freshman in ACC Tournament history

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•05/12/23

The Duke softball team advanced to the ACC Tournament championship game by way of a no-hitter from Cassidy Curd on Friday afternoon.

Curd paved the way for a 2-0 Blue Devils win over the Clemson Tigers. She had some help early on, with the offense providing some run support in the bottom of the second and bottom of the third inning.

The freshman pitcher did the rest.

Curd recorded eight strikeouts in the game, at one point having struck out more than half the batters she had faced into the top of the third inning.

She finished facing only 23 batters, just two more than the minimum in the game. A pair of hit by pitches were her only blemishes, keeping her from a perfect game.

It was only the second time that Clemson had been no-hit since the program began in 2020, according to D1Softball’s Rhiannon Potkey.

Cassidy Curd’s no-hitter was also the first by a freshman in ACC Tournament history. The win moved Curd’s season-long record to 16-1.

Duke opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning when second baseman Aminah Vega reached base thanks to a fielding error. A sacrifice bunt by catcher Kelly Torres moved Vega over to second with one out. Left fielder Claire Davidson drove in Vega from second base with a single to center field, making it 1-0 Duke.

The Blue Devils would add another run an inning later.

Right fielder Francesca Frelick opened the bottom of the third inning with a single to the pitcher. Duke pinch-ran for her and and leadoff hitter D’Auna Jennings singled to first base, moving the pinch-runner to second. After a strikeout, a single to shortstop by first baseman Gisele Tapia loaded the bases with one out.

The run came home on a sacrifice fly out of play in right field by third baseman Ana Gold, making it 2-0 Duke. But the inning ended when Vega lined out to shortstop.

Duke, with the win, advances to face Florida State in the conference championship game. That game will be played on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, with a broadcast on ESPN2.