March 24, 2007
Tulsa, Okla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF softball team split two games with Tulsa on Saturday winning the first game, 3-0, and dropping the second, 7-4.The decisions brought the Knights' record to 23-14 on the season and the Golden Hurricane moved their record to 17-17.
Allison Kime (12-6) was golden for the Knights as she pitched her third one-hitter in her last five appearances, tallying her seventh shutout of the season. The junior hurler fanned seven of the first eight batters she faced on her way to a 10 strikeout performance.
Despite losing the second game, the Black and Gold scattered 12 hits, two of which were home runs off the bat of Kacie Feaster.
Game One
The game started off quite uneventful for the offense, with each team's pitcher throwing near perfect games. The Knights finally broke it open in the sixth inning, getting two runs off Tulsa starter, Jackie Lawrence. Megan Murphy got a lead-off single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Feaster. As Cici Alvarez attempted to sacrifice Murphy to third, the ball spun to a stop right on the third base line for a single. But after further review, the ball was ruled foul. The senior stepped back up to the plate, unfazed, and dropped a single into center field, moving Murphy to third base. Amber Lamb reached base on a fielder's choice, in which the Golden Hurricane shortstop, Kelli McGlasson, misfired to second base, scoring Murphy and moving Alvarez to third. Alvarez came around to score on McGlasson's second error in a row off the bat of Kime, putting the Knights on top, 2-0.
The UCF bats caught fire again in the seventh when Lindsay Dean ripped a double down the left field line and Murphy reached base after Lawrence pegged her with a pitch. Feaster brought Dean around on an RBI single to left center, advancing Murphy to second and extending the Knights' lead, 3-0.
The Golden Hurricane threatened in the bottom of the seventh after Sara Dyer reached first on Tulsa's only hit of the game and advanced to second on a ground out. With one out, Kime pitched her way out of the jam with a little help from the defense, getting the next two batters on a ground out and a fly ball to right field to end the game.
Game Two
The hit train kept on chugging for UCF at the start of game two, but eventually lost steam deeper into the contest. Feaster started off the second game in prime fashion when she crushed a 2-1 delivery from Katie Lee over the left field fence to get the scoreboard lights flashing early for UCF, 1-0.
Tulsa answered back in the bottom of the inning with two runs of its own. Vanessa Vice led off with a single and eventually scored on a RBI double off the bat of Dyer. The first baseman was plated later in the inning thanks to a single by McGlasson.
The Golden Hurricane put four additional runs across the plate in the second and fourth innings on two hits with the help of two walks, a hit batter and a couple of UCF errors.
Feaster threw some gas on the hit fire as she smashed her second home run of the match-up, taking Lee's third pitch over the fence for the Knights' second run. The senior's spark ignited the UCF squad as it put together a string of three hits, adding one more tally to the board. Lamb hit a double down the left field line, and Morgan Bullard went in the game to pinch run. Kime stepped up to the plate and hit a zinger to score Bullard, advancing to second on the throw home. Breanne Javier singled to right field, which almost scored Kime from the top of the diamond, but the throw from the right fielder held her up at third. Hillary Barrow hit a screamer to the left side to try and score Kime, but third baseman Stephanie Chomicki made a diving stop and threw Barrow out at first, ending the inning, 6-3.
Lauren Lindsay took the air out of the Golden Knights' sails in the sixth inning, hitting the third home run of the game to deep to center field, making the score 7-3.
The Black and Gold scored one more in the bottom of the seventh, but it just was not enough to take the win from Tulsa.
Lexi Gresham (3-2) took the loss for UCF, allowing two runs on three hits. Katie Lee (6-7) got the win in the circle for Tulsa giving up four runs on 12 hits, striking out eight.
The Golden Knights complete their three-game series with Tulsa Sunday at the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex at 1 p.m. ET. For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports.