OKLAHOMA CITY — Marlie Giles blasted a sixth-inning solo home run to lift Alabama to a 2-1 victory over Duke in the Women’s College World Series on Friday.
The Crimson Tide (39-19) will take on Texas or Florida on Sunday in an elimination game. Duke’s season ends at 52-9 after their first-ever appearance in the WCWS.
Alabama had just three hits going into the sixth, before Giles reached out and poked left-hander Cassidy Curd’s 1-0 offering out to right-center field for her team-leading seventh home run of the season.
The Crimson Tide took the lead in the first on an unearned run after Kenleigh Cahalan reached second on an error and came around on Giles’ double.
Giles missed more than a month of the season with a broken arm before returning in early May.
Duke’s Ana Gold tied it with a solo homer to left-center off Jocelyn Briski in the second.
After Gold’s one-out single in the fourth, Alabama brought in Kayla Beaver, who went the distance in the Crimson Tide’s 4-1 opening-round loss to UCLA.
Beaver (19-10) was excellent, retiring all 11 batters she faced, including striking out pinch-hitter Sarah Goddard to end the game and keep the Crimson Tide alive.
Beaver threw 45 pitches, 39 for strikes.
–Field Level Media
