March 28, 2007
Tallahassee, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Allison Kime (14-6) had a record-breaking night at the JoAnne Graf Softball Field on Wednesday night as she struck out 18 Florida State batters in 12 innings of work, both UCF single-game records, to defeat the Seminoles in game one, 1-0. The junior hurler has not allowed a single earned run in her last 47 innings pitched following game one against the Seminoles.
The second game of the night was a different story for the Golden Knights as they could not handle the Florida State (24-15) bats. Six errors, four in the third inning alone, were too many to come back from as the Black and Gold dropped the nightcap, 8-3. Ashleigh Cole (7-7) took the loss for UCF by allowing six earned runs on five hits, while striking out four.
Hillary Barrow led the offense in the doubleheader getting four hits and scoring two runs for the Golden Knights as they moved to 25-15 on the season.
Game One
The first game was a nail-biter for all involved with neither team scoring a run until the 12th inning, when Barrow led off with a single up the middle and a sacrifice bunt by Cole moved her over to second base. Lindsay Dean reached base on a walk and Megan Murphy loaded the bases on an error by the third baseman. With the bases juiced, Kacie Feaster hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Barrow from third for the first and only run of the contest.
UCF's first threat of the game happened in the fifth inning when Barrow crushed a double to left-center field and Cole sacrificed her over to third for the first out. The inning came to a close when Dean flew out to right field and Barrow was thrown out at the plate.
With one out in the eighth, Dean cracked a single up the middle and Morgan Bullard came in the game as a pinch runner. Shelly Frick reached base on a pinch-hit single to right field and all of a sudden, the Knights were in prime position to score the game's first run. FSU brought in its ace, Tiffany McDonald, in hopes of getting out of the jam. Cici Alvarez loaded the bases with a high chopper up the middle with two down, but the Seminoles got out of it on a diving play by the shortstop to get Alvarez out at second base.
FSU put a runner on in the bottom of the eighth and Veronica Wootson moved her over to second with a sacrifice bunt. With a runner in scoring position and two outs, Kime walked the next batter to put two runners on. A wild pitch moved the runners to first and third with two away. Kime's second walk of the inning loaded the bases for FSU pinch hitter, Monica Montez. With bases loaded and a full count, Kime got Monica Montez to ground out to Lamb to move into the ninth inning.
Kime reached base on an error by the shortstop to lead off the ninth inning and Breanne Javier followed up with an infield single to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Barrow's sacrifice bunt attempt turned into a double play for the Seminoles when the first baseman laid out for the catch and threw Javier out at first base. McDonald got out of her second sticky situation by forcing Cole to hit a grounder right back at her, throwing it to first for out No. 3.
The Seminoles tried again in their next turn to the plate, as Carly Wynn smacked a pinch-hit single through the left side, stole second base and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Wootson. Barrow made a spectacular play at second base to get Wynn trying to score from third for out No. 2.
After UCF got its run in the 12th, FSU threatened to put the game into its 13th inning, but Kime took care of business getting her 17th and 18th strikeouts to end the game, 1-0.
Game Two
UCF put a run across early in the second game when Feaster singled to the shortstop and Alvarez reached on a bunt single. Lamb scored Feaster on a RBI single to left field to take the lead, 1-0 after their fist at-bat.
FSU answered back in the bottom of the inning when a throwing error brought Buckmon around to score for a 1-1 tie after one inning. The Seminoles put five more runs across in the third inning with the help of four Golden Knight errors.
UCF added another run in the fourth inning when Barrow led off with a double down the left-field line, Cole sacrificed her over to third and Murphy brought Barrow around to score on a single through the left side to make the score 6-2.
Two more runs crossed the plate for FSU in the bottom of the inning, though, with another UCF error helping the cause. With two on, Kelly Langston belted a double to left field to plate both runners and made the score 8-2. Feaster did add a RBI single up the middle to plate Snapp for another UCF run in the sixth, but it was not enough to get the twin-bill sweep.
UCF returns to conference play when it hosts Marshall this weekend. Saturday's doubleheader starts at 1 p.m., while the series finale is set for Sunday at noon. For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF sports.