May 12, 2007
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The fourth-seeded UCF softball team suffered a 1-0 setback to No. 2 seed East Carolina in a 12-inning elimination game on Saturday at the Conference USA Softball Championship presented by Coca-Cola. The Knights (38-26) finished the championship with a 3-2 record and placed third in the six-team field.
The Pirates' Jessica Johnson broke the scoreless tie in the 12th with a one-out solo home run off UCF starter Allison Kime. The Knights' ace had allowed only three hits up until that point through the first 11 innings. ECU starter Toni Paisley made that run hold up as she pitched around a single to UCF's Breanne Javier in the final frame to send the Pirates into the Championship game.
Javier had two of the Knights' five hits in the contest and finished with a championship-high five hits in six contests. Javier was joined by Kime and third baseman Cici Alvarez on the C-USA All-Tournament team. Alvarez scored a tournament-high three runs and Kime led the tournament with 34 innings pitched and equaled Houston's Angel Shamblin with a tournament-high three wins
The Knights threatened in the 11th moving their first runner of the game to third base, but Lindsay Dean was left stranded there after she reached safely on a two-base error. The 12-inning contest equaled the longest of the season for the Knights as they also went that distance in a 1-0 victory over Florida State on Mar. 28.
UCF will now await word from the NCAA Softball Selection Committee on Monday for news on whether or not they will receive an at-large bid to an NCAA Regional.
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.
- UCF -