Aminah Vega walk-off home run lifts Duke past Boston College in ACC Softball Tournament
No. 1 seed Duke got all it wanted from No. 9 seed Boston College in the ACC Softball Tournament on Thursday. However, the Blue Devils were eventually able to outlast BC thanks to a walk-off home run by sophomore Aminah Vega.
The ACC Defensive Player of the Year got the job done at the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning, drilling a two-run home run to center field off Boston College starter Abby Dunning to lift Duke to a 2-0 win.
With the victory, Duke advances to the ACC Softball Tournament semifinals where it will meet the winner of Clemson and Virginia. You can watch the dramatic home run below:
Offense was hard to come by for both teams on Thursday, before Aminah Vega came through with the big hit late.
The Blue Devils entered the bottom of the 10th inning with only four hits, before Claire Davidson led off the frame with a double. Vega then followed with the walk-off home run as Duke improved to 44-6 on the season.
After the game, Vega spoke with the ACC Network about her home run.
“I’m in the circle, and I’m just like, ‘They’re not going to give up anything good to Claire. They’re not. Claire’s out best hitter, she’s shown it all year,'” Vega explained. “So all I was thinking was she’s going to get on and I’ve got to do my job. … I’ve got to do my job, have a better at bat than every other at bat I’ve had, and it’s time to show out this time. We’ve got to do it.”
Davidson and Vega combined for four of Duke’s six hits on the afternoon.
On the mound, Duke pitcher Jala Wright was lights out. The senior pitched all 10 innings, recording 17 strikeouts.
“Who wouldn’t want to be in this moment,” Wright told the ACC Network. “This is champ series Day 1. It just means everything to play with these girls, have the alumni show out. I was just thinking do my best and give my team a shot.”
Vega added that the Blue Devils had full confidence in Wright to keep Boston College off the board. Finally, in the 10th inning, Duke’s offense provided some run support.
“I believed in her, and I was like, ‘We’re going to come up and we’re going to get it done for her.’ The whole time she kept us in the game,” Vega said. “I think anger means passion. We got angry, and we were like, ‘Listen, we just have to think singles, get on, figure it out. If that means we’re going to have to take a walk we take a walk.’ Me and Claire talked before we went up to bat and we were like, ‘Let’s do this.’”