Duke Softball 2023

[loran16]

I swear to god, this is the second time at least this season our team has had an important moment with a runner on second, a ball hit to the left side and a runner runs into either the ball or the fielder just out of not paying attention and runs out of the inning. Just terrible play

[DoubleBlue]

Duke (Gold) finally gets a hit in B4 off FSU ace pitcher Sandercock. Now 3-0 FSU.

[DoubleBlue]

FSU wins convincingly 4-1.

[loran16]

Duke takes the middle game 2-1. Curd pitched a great 6.1 IP, got help from a home run saving catch in the seventh and Vega hit the key two run homer.

Rubber game tomorrow

[DoubleBlue]

Currently in a weather delay for today's finale with FSU. The Durham weather forecast looks like it will clear up soon. Best case is a 1-hour delay according to https://twitter.com/DukeSOFTBALL.

[loran16]

Garner Mackinnon to start. Guessing she has a short leash

[loran16]

She did not make it more than a third of an inning jeez. There’s a reason she didn’t face ranked teams early in the season and it’s showing today. You can’t be a no strikeout and no control pitcher at this level

[loran16]

4-0 FSU now. This game seems over unless something massively changes with the offense today

[chrishoke]

We are in another rain delay.

[CameronBornAndBred]

We are in another rain delay.

The music that ESPN uses during commercials/delays is the most awful musical creation ever recorded. It's like bad background music in a 90s FPS video game, but on a mind melting loop.

[loran16]

Duke finally gets on the board with a couple of hits. Now 6-1 FSU with Duke having 2nd and 3rd no outs in bottom 4.

Get this to 6-3 and we have a game (and we're less likely to get run ruled)

[loran16]

That works! An E-6 and a successful squeeze (called out at first but then overturned on replay) and now it's 6-3, with two still on and no outs!

[loran16]

...What the hell? 2-0 count, Vega up, and Marissa Young takes out Vega to bunt with Boyet?

This is a terrible idea.

EDIT: She couldn't even get the bunt down. Just an awful awful decision.

EDIT2: Boyet strikes out looking. Dumbfounding.

[loran16]

Young is outsmarting herself all the way out of this inning with these pinch hitters. They're inferior hitters not starting for a reason, your starters are hitting well and have gotten to see this pitcher and can adjust to her,, and you're putting in cold inferior hitters why?!?!?!

[loran16]

Duke fails to add more runs. Someone take the lineup card out of Marissa Young's hands before she ruins more innings like she just did there.

[DoubleBlue]

Duke fails to add more runs. Someone take the lineup card out of Marissa Young's hands before she ruins more innings like she just did there.

That seems a bit harsh. Duke has scored 3 runs on 3 hits off a great pitcher.

[loran16]

That seems a bit harsh. Duke has scored 3 runs on 3 hits off a great pitcher.

She pinch hit for one of our hottest hitters, with an OPS over .900, with a batter who was 1-8 on a 2-0 count to have her bunt.

That is TERRIBLE strategy down multiple runs - a bunt at best increases your chance of one run but reduces your chance at multiple runs, and you NEEDED multiple runs, and that was even if Boyet could get the bunt down. And apparently there's a 5:30 curfew on this game, so we don't even have 7 innings to score multiple runs.

It is awful terrible managing. There's no excuse for the decision, and the second pinch hitter wasn't great either.

[DoubleBlue]

She pinch hit for one of our hottest hitters, with an OPS over .900, with a batter who was 1-8 on a 2-0 count to have her bunt.

That is TERRIBLE strategy down multiple runs - a bunt at best increases your chance of one run but reduces your chance at multiple runs, and you NEEDED multiple runs, and that was even if Boyet could get the bunt down. And apparently there's a 5:30 curfew on this game, so we don't even have 7 innings to score multiple runs.

It is awful terrible managing. There's no excuse for the decision, and the second pinch hitter wasn't great either.

So you're saying that Coach Young should not be coach any more? Maybe she was experimenting with different matchups or challenging one of her less experienced players in a big moment. Lots of things can go into a game decision that may not appear to make sense, but please give her the benefit of the doubt.

[loran16]

So you're saying that Coach Young should not be coach any more? Maybe she was experimenting with different matchups or challenging one of her less experienced players in a big moment. Lots of things can go into a game decision that may not appear to make sense, but please give her the benefit of the doubt.

I'm saying her lineup decisions were terrible and maybe she should stick to the other parts of managing, where she's unquestionably good.

There is no "experimenting with different matchups" about pulling a star hitter on a 2-0 count to put one who can't hit in to bunt. (Notably, Vega bluffed bunt on ball 2 before getting pulled, suggesting the bunt was on the whole way, which is bad in any event, but is especially bad to not change that call when Vega is in a prime hitter's count).

[DoubleBlue]

The game was called at the 5:30 curfew in T6. Duke had a few chances but comes up short, 7-3. FSU wins the series 2-1.

FSU has not lost an ACC series in over 5 years, so no shame in losing. Duke had not lost one in almost 2 years (to FSU).