ORLANDO – On the heels of the No. 15 UCF softball team's high-scoring back-and-forth affair against RV Boise State, clamping down on the opposition from the circle was a point of emphasis for head coach Cindy Ball-Malone and her coaching staff entering the squad's final game of the 2023 Black and Gold Classic.
Its pitching staff took improvements to heart in a game dominated by the pitchers. The Knights (3-1, 0-0) leaned heavily on a combination of right-handers Sarah Willis and Kaitlyn Felton and southpaw Angelina DeVoe in a 1-0 shutout win over the RV Ohio State Buckeyes (1-2, 0-0) Saturday night.
"It's my favorite type of game," said head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. "It speaks to the diversity of what we can do. How dynamic we are and what we can do as a team and who we match up with at any time. We had a big talk with our pitchers, we had some great strikeout numbers in the past two days; today we got our only strikeout of the day on the last batter, but our walks [and pitch count] were down. I like those kind of games and I love how our pitchers closed the weekend out."
Behind yet another timely RBI by junior transfer Chloe Evans and a highlight-reel diving catch by redshirt-senior Jasmine Williams, the trio of Knights hurlers made an early 1-0 lead stand en route to the team's third straight win, third in four games in the Classic, and their first shutout of the young season.
"I think our defense was awesome tonight," Williams added. "The past few games, we've had some miscues, but overall I think we were solid and making plays, hyping everyone up. We were connecting really well on the field with each other and I think that showed in why we ended up getting the win tonight."
Not 24 hours removed from her electric walk-off homer against RV Boise State, Evans again stepped to the plate with a chance to give her team the lead in the third inning Saturday night. With two on and two outs, Evans hit a line drive off the center field batter's eye that plated Jada Cody.
"She's been constantly working and focused and watching film, and coming in here and working on her own," Ball-Malone said of Evans. "Just being a team player when it comes to [laying down a bunt] when she can hit a home run. She loves big moments, they feel like they're normal to her, and there's more to come with that."
With the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base in the sixth, Jasmine Williams claimed the spotlight with an incredible diving catch to preserve the Knights' slim lead. The Buckeyes' Teegan Cortelletti poked a soft drive to shallow left field, and Williams' full-extension dive brought her just close enough to snag the sinking liner.
"We had two outs, our biggest thing this game was to protect the queen," Williams said in reference to her pitching staff. "So that was my mentality, do whatever it takes, put my body on the line to save us. It was a lot of fun to catch, it got the team fired up, and I think it really brought the momentum in to shut the game down."
The Knights' crucial plays supported a trio of hurlers who combined to yield just two walks and six hits on 111 pitches. Willis turned in her most effective appearance of the season, tossing three scoreless innings before paving way for DeVoe's two scoreless frames.
Felton, fresh off a career-high 13 punchouts in her first collegiate seven-inning complete game Friday against UMass, saw her number called once again to close out the final two innings. She fought through a bit of traffic with a hit and walk allowed, and collected the Knights' first and only strikeout of the game during her final at-bat to cap her two scoreless innings and first collegiate save.
"They're definitely a great-hitting team," Felton said. "I was really excited to be out there, the energy in the dugout was amazing. Shannon helping me prep and getting me hyped up to go out there. I couldn't do it without everyone out there tonight."
UP NEXT
The Knights will have a few days to prepare for their next matchup against No. 23 Missouri Wednesday evening. First pitch from the UCF Softball Complex is slated for 6 p.m.