Tele Jennings hit a two-run home run and her RBI double and Jenna Sniffen’s three-run home run were part of a six-run rally that helped Arizona defeat No. 12 Duke 10-1 on Saturday in a winner’s bracket game of the Durham (N.C.) Regional.
The Wildcats (37-16) will play either Duke, Marshall or Howard on Sunday at 9 a.m. in the championship round.
Arizona needs one victory to advance to the Super Regional round, while the other teams must beat the Wildcats twice tomorrow.
JENNA SNIFFEN!!!@jennasniffenn blasts a no-doubter to left field! pic.twitter.com/jIz9mGufTu
— Arizona Softball (@ArizonaSoftball) May 16, 2026
The Wildcats tallied eight hits, but their pitching and defense were also factors for the victory.
Addison Duke had a diving catch in left field in the fourth inning, and Tayler Biehl made two outstanding defensive plays at shortstop in the fifth inning.
Regan Shockey also had to go a long way to track down a shallow fly ball in left field, and Sniffen snared a hard-hit line drive to third base, which overshadowed Arizona’s two errors in the game.
Jenae Berry relieved ace Jalen Adams in the third inning with runners on the corners and one out.
ADDI DUKE WHAT A PLAY!!@AddisonDuke06 goes diving in left to make the catch! pic.twitter.com/W8cNrEzIQ0
— Arizona Softball (@ArizonaSoftball) May 16, 2026
Berry (4-1) persevered to get the win, not allowing a hit in 2 2/3 innings while walking two and striking out none. Adams allowed two hits and a run in 2 1/3 innings with two strikeouts and a walk.
The Wildcats first struck against the Blue Devils (40-15) in the first inning behind two errant throws and used a six-run fifth inning to pull away.
Duke’s lone run of the day came after KK Mathis stole home in the third. Arizona finished with eight hits, with Duke being held to two on the day, a season low. It marks just the third run-rule loss for Duke on the season.
Duke will await the winner between Marshall and Howard in a win-or-go-home contest on Saturday night. The Herd and Bison get underway around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The winner of the Durham Regional advances to play the winner of the Fayetteville Regional. That regional is led by No. 5 overall seed Arkansas along with Fordham, Washington and South Florida.
Two errant Cassidy Curd throws to first allowed Arizona to score two runs in the top of the first. Curd struck out Jennings swinging for the third out.
Grace Jenkins, who had two three-run home runs in Friday’s 7-5 win over Marshall, led off the top half of the fourth with a single. She was then brought home by Jennings on a two-run home run to deep right field.
TELE JENNINGS LEAVES THE YARD!!@telejennings4 goes first pitch swinging and sends it of the park! pic.twitter.com/9qK58e2X5V
— Arizona Softball (@ArizonaSoftball) May 16, 2026
Mathis, not used out of the bullpen until late May, was forced to relieve Curd (17-3) after Curd gave up three straight singles by Shockey, Sereniti Trice and Sydney Stewart to load the bases with no outs in the fifth.
Mathis walked the first batter she faced, Biehl, to add on a run and a Jenkins sacrifice fly added another.
Jennings then doubled to left field to put Arizona up 7-1 and Sniffen cleared the bases with a three-run home run. It was Sniffen’s second hit in her last 13 games.
Jennings and Sniffen each had three RBIs in the game, while Shockey and Jennings each had two hits.
The top four batters in the lineup — Shockey, Trice, Stewart and Biehl — combined for four hits and six runs.
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