May 13, 2004
BOCA RATON - No. 2 UCF put up five runs in the opening three innings to defeat No. 3 Troy, 5-2, in the 2004 Atlantic Sun Softball Championship at the FAU Softball Field on Thursday evening.
The Golden Knights improved to 41-19 and await the winner of the Florida Atlantic/Troy game, while the Lady Trojans fell to 35-29. They will play at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Avenging the two-game sweep by Troy earlier in the season, UCF got on the board early as designated player and A-Sun Freshman of the Year Amber Lamb scored on an infield single by junior Jania Shinhoster.
Senior Rachelle Schmidt made the score 2-0 in favor of the Golden Knights when classmate Jennifer Whitley hit a double deep into left centerfield with two outs in the top of the second. Whitley came home on a single by Lamb that got by Troy's diving second baseman.
In the third inning, junior Crystle Krafft duplicated Whitley's play with a double that scored Shinhoster before scoring herself on a single by junior Nikki Green.
Senior Tamra Howren spoiled senior pitcher Taylor Sawyer's shutout bid with a solo home run over the right centerfield fence in the bottom of the fourth. UCF junior shortstop and Atlantic Sun Player of the Year Stephanie Best halted the Lady Trojan's scoring by turning a double play with Krafft to end the inning.
Troy's Lindsey Wyatt blasted her second home run of the season over the scoreboard in right field, prompting junior hurler Kelly McIntyre to relieve Sawyer in the bottom of the fifth
The Lady Trojans loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs when freshman Tara Blackwell came to the plate and struck out. Troy left eight runners stranded in the final four stanzas of the game.
With her four inning of work, Sawyer (11-5) earned the win as she gave up four hits. McIntyre got her third save of season with two strikeouts and two hits. Starting pitcher Laine Harcourt (16-15) got the loss after allowing five hits and three runs in 1.2 innings, while Kacie Flinn kept UCF off the board, striking out three batters and allowing five hits to finish the game.