March 12, 2008
UCF 3, Liberty 0
UCF 3, No. 14 Baylor 0
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Sophomore Ashleigh Cole (Pace, Fla.) pitched a four-hit shutout to help lead the UCF softball team to a, 3-0, upset over No. 14 Baylor Wednesday afternoon at the UCF Softball Complex. The hurler struck out four and walked only one batter in the contest.
"Ashleigh (Cole) really stepped up big for us in today's game," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "For her to shut down Baylor, ranked 14th in the nation, was a huge step in her pitching career as a sophomore."
Cole moved to 8-5 on the season with the win, while the Black and Gold improved its record to 18-13 on the season.
The victory was the first for the Knights this season against a ranked opponent, falling earlier in the season to then-No. 12 Michigan and then-No. 16 Hawaii.
Breanne Javier (Castaic, Calif.) led the Knights at the plate with two hits, while Tiffany Lane (Moreno Valley, Calif.) and Hillary Barrow (Miami, Fla.) each posted a RBI in the game.
Lindsay Dean (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Abby McClain (Waterloo, Iowa) both had doubles in the contest that eventually led to a pair of runs for the Black and Gold.
"It was good to see our one-through-nine batters getting on and producing runs," Gillispie said. "In so many games this season we have been missing that one key hit, and tonight we finally got the hits that we needed on offense. As coaches, we put the pressure on the offense to get the job done, and they really came through."
UCF jumped on Baylor early, with Lane crossing the plate thanks to walk, a bunt single by Javier and a RBI single through the left side by Barrow.
The Knights tacked on another score in the second inning following a Dean double and a throwing miscue by the Lady Bears' second baseman to go up 2-0.
The Black and Gold gave itself a three-run advantage and clinched the win with a run in the fifth inning on a double by McClain and a RBI single up the middle from Lane.
The Knights also posted a 3-0 win over Liberty earlier in the afternoon, with Allison Kime (Brandon, Fla.) picking up her eighth win of the season in a one-hit shutout over the Lady Flames. The senior struck out five and walked only one.
Marquita Council (Orlando, Fla.) paced the UCF offense in the game, going 2-for-2 with a sacrifice hit.
The Knights return to Conference USA action this weekend, traveling to Birmingham, Ala., to take on UAB in a three-game series. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, while Sunday's contest is also set to begin at 2 p.m. ET.
Season tickets for the 2008 season are still available and can be purchased by calling 407-UCF-1000. 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. Also check out UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pics
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