Feb. 6, 2005
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The UCF softball team dropped a 6-1 decision to Florida in the Gold Bracket game at the Eddie C. Moore Complex on Sunday afternoon.
Florida put three runs on the board in the first inning. Stacie Pestrack was hit by a Lindsay Enders pitch, and was originally ruled out by the first base umpire for leaning into the pitch. The home plate umpire overruled the original call awarding Pestrack first base.
Pestrack took advantage stealing second base, and Melissa Zick drew a walk putting runners on first and second for Kristin Butler, who cleared the bases with a double. Butler advanced to third on a ground out by Lindsey Cameron.
The Gators pushed the advantage to 3-0 as Butler scored on a bang-bang play at the plate off an Enders wild pitch.
UCF responded stringing back-to-back-to-back singles in the first inning from the heart of the line-up. Amber Lamb picked up a RBI single scoring pinch runner Nicole Balogh to cut the Gator lead to 3-1.
Enders shut down the Gators sitting down 10 of the next 11 batters, but the Golden Knights were unable to cut into the deficit.
Florida broke through in the sixth inning capitalizing on a lead off single by Butler. Mandy Schuerman doubled to score pinch runner Nikki Baldwin to make it 4-1, and the Gators added two more runs in the seventh for the final margin.
"This was a heartbreaking loss for our girls because we know we can play with a team like Florida," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "But we have to move on from this moment, and get ready for another challenging weekend against some top competition."
UCF opens the Desert Classic in Las Vegas next weekend hooking up with No. 8 LSU, No. 12 Michigan, and No. 9 Washington. The Golden Knights will also match-up with Portland State and UC-Riverside in pool play.