GREENVILLE, N.C. – In search of its second conference win of the season and first true road victory overall, the UCF softball team left little to doubt Friday evening.
A history-making three-run homer by Jada Cody and another masterpiece in the circle by right-handed starter Sarah Willis led the Knights over the ECU Pirates in run-rule fashion, 8-0, at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium in the opener of UCF's four-game road trip.
The victory pushed the Knights (21-18, 2-2 AAC) back to three games north of .500 and even in conference play, and gave UCF its 15th consecutive win over the Pirates (22-13, 0-4 AAC) dating back to May 4, 2018. Entering the series' second game Saturday UCF now owns a 32-19 edge all-time over the Pirates.
"I think it's great momentum going into the rest of the series against them, and they're a great team," said Cody. "Just having that momentum, since we're not home, is definitely a great thing to have."
With the Knights already leading 2-0 on the strength of sacrifice flies by right fielder Chloe Evans and pinch-hitter Savannah Adams, Cody, the owner of 138 career RBI and third place on the UCF all-time list, strode to the plate for her third plate appearance in the top of the fourth inning with two runners on.
She waited out ECU starter Addy Bullis, working a 1-1 count before demolishing the third pitch of her at-bat over the left field wall, ballooning the Knights' advantage to 5-0 with her sixth home run of the season.
The long ball also tacked on three more RBI to Cody's career total, boosting the Murrieta, California, native past Jania Shinhoster for sole possession of second place on the UCF all-time list with 141 in her four-year career. Cody now trails only Knights Hall-of-Famer Stephanie Best on the UCF all-time RBI list, needing 72 to tie Best's career total of 213.
"It's crazy to think [about]," Cody continued. "But I'm just blessed, and I don't think I would have been able to do it without my teammates being on base and them producing as well. If it weren't for my teammates, I definitely wouldn't be in this position. It's all praise for my teammates and my coaching staff."
In helping lead UCF to its eight-run win, Cody scored a trio of runs for the second time this season, and the first since March 11 against the Toledo Rockets. She also recorded three or more RBI in a game for the second time this season, and the first since her four-RBI day in the opener of the Knights' Feb. 23 twin-bill against the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs.
"My freshman and sophomore year, I just took every pitch and made it bigger than what it had to be," Cody added. "And now I feel like I'm just playing freely and taking one pitch at a time and really relying on my teammates both when I am and am not successful."
The Knights' offensive outburst was more than enough for Willis, who was masterful in authoring her fourth complete game, and second shutout, of the campaign. The Ontario, California, native worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the first inning, stranding the ECU runner at third base and retiring 15 consecutive Pirates hitters from the end of the first through the fifth innings.
"I was really just working my pitches to the spots that coach Ball-Malone called and letting my defense work," Willis said. "I still had that one walk, so I'm just trying to limit those, but I was just hitting my spots and letting my defense work."
ECU third baseman Mackenzie Kila snapped Willis' streak with a leadoff walk in the sixth, but the Knights right-hander was unfazed, quickly inducing a flyout and a pair of groundouts in the bottom of the sixth inning to seal UCF's 21st win of the year.
The outing marked Willis' fourth of the season consisting of six or more innings pitched, the first of which was accompanied by one or fewer hits allowed.
"Getting people to swing at pitches early in the count and making them get themselves out on the pitches I want them to is really helpful to me," Willis continued. "I think that's how I can get [out] so many people consecutively. Just being consistent and not throwing too many pitches is essential for myself."
Since her Feb. 23 start against Gardner-Webb, Willis has also posted a team-low 1.17 ERA (53.2 IP, 9 ER), racking up a team-leading 52 strikeouts and yielding just a .155 opponent batting average in 14 appearances (8 starts) in that span.
"As the season has gone on, I've definitely gained confidence in myself, and I think the team and coach Ball-Malone has gained confidence in me as well, and I'm excited to see how good I can get by the end of the season," Willis added.
Shortstop Jasmine Williams and first baseman Shannon Doherty punctuated the Knights' offensive exploits, driving in a combined three runs on a pair of singles in the top of the sixth inning to make possible UCF's six-inning run-rule victory.
UP NEXT
The Knights will square off against ECU again in the second of the teams' three-game series Saturday evening, with first pitch again scheduled for 5 p.m. from Max R. Joyner Family Stadium.