Pitt Takes Down No. 16 Duke on 412 Day

Saturday, April 12

Pittsburgh, PA

3 PM EST

Pitt

14-25, 4-13

Duke

30-13, 11-6

Duke

Pitt

Pitt Takes Down No. 16 Duke on 412 Day

4/12/2025 6:16:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

PITTSBURGH – Freshmen pitchers Gwen Sparks and Bekah Duck anchored the Panthers in the circle en route to upsetting the No. 16 Duke Blue Devils, 5-3, Saturday afternoon at Vartabedian Field. Pitt earned their highest ranked win over a top 25 opponent since 2022.

Sparks earned the win after pitching 4.0 shutout innings and gave up one run in the fifth inning. The right-handed pitcher started the game by retiring the top of the Blue Devils lineup and finished the outing allowing five hits, one run, and a walk with two strikeouts.

Duck pitched the final 3.0 innings of relief to earn the save, allowing two runs on two hits and issued two walks. The left-handed pitcher secured the victory by retiring the three batters in the top half of the Duke lineup in the seventh inning, including striking out Jada Baker on five pitches to end the game.

The pitching duo combined to allow a season-low three walks and held Duke to three runs scored.

Kylie Griggs led the Panther offense, going 3-for-3 with a home run. Shelby Frazier and Amanda "Tuta" Ramirez provided the run support by hitting back-to-back homers in the fourth inning to increase the lead.

Griggs got the Panthers started with leadoff home run for the second game in a row to give the Panthers a 1-0 edge after the opening frame. The Panthers were 0-for-8 after the home run but Griggs hit a two-out double in the bottom of the third.

Sparks battled Brooklin Thomas in a 12-pitch at-bat with eight foul offs but produced a fly out to center field to end the top of the fourth inning and hold the Blue Devils scoreless.

The Panthers got in scoring position after drawing two walks in the fourth inning to put the runners on first and second. The runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch before Frazier entered as a pinch hitter and delivered a three-run homer to right field for a 4-0 lead. Ramirez followed as the Panthers hit back-to-back homers to take a 5-0 lead after four innings.

The Blue Devils made it a two-run game in the top of the fifth inning after Ana Gold hit a three-run homer to make the score 5-3.

Pitt got two more runners in scoring position with no outs in the bottom of the sixth, but Cassidy Curd retired the next three Pitt batters to escape the jam.

Curd (11-7) suffered the loss for Duke after tossing 6.0 innings and striking out seven batters.

UP NEXT
The Panthers and Blue Devils close out the series at Vartabedian Field tomorrow at 1 p.m. Pitt will return to action on Tuesday with a road contest at Penn State.