March 2, 2008
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF softball team took home consolation honors at the Altamonte Springs Tournament Sunday afternoon after posting a 5-1 win over Vermont, before falling to Maryland, 1-0, in the championship game at the Merrill Park Softball Complex. Hillary Barrow (Miami, Fla.) and Breanne Javier (Castaic, Calif.) both posted two hits on the day.
In the championship game against Maryland, both runs and hits were hard to come by for both teams, as the scored remained deadlocked, 0-0, through five innings. UCF put two runners on in the fourth inning with only one out, but a double play by the Terps ended the Knights' threat.
The winning run crossed in the bottom of the sixth inning for Maryland after Jenny Belak reached base on an infield single, was sacrificed over to second and was plated on a double down the left-field line from Kerry Hickey.
Allison Kime (Brandon, Fla.) suffered the loss in the tournament championship, despite striking out six Terrapins. The senior allowed only one run on four hits in the outing, but fell to 7-5 on the season.
Kime and Javier posted the Black and Gold's only two hits of the game.
In the Knights' earlier game versus Vermont, UCF started the scoring in the second inning with Barrow crossing the plate after reaching on a hit by pitch, moving to second on a single by Ashleigh Cole (Pace, Fla.) and scoring on a fielding error by the Catamount shortstop.
A squeeze play in the third inning scored Tiffany Lane (Moreno Valley, Calif.), before a single down the left field line by Barrow plated Kime from second base to put the Knights up by three runs, 3-0.
Starting pitcher, Cole and the Knights' defense retired 15-straight batters before a single by the Catamount second baseman and a triple by Kate Haber cut the Knights lead to two runs in the sixth inning.
But, UCF answered right back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to a pair of Vermont miscues and a RBI single by Morgan Bullard (Columbia, S.C).
Cole picked up her fifth win of the season with the victory and moved her record to 5-4 on the season. She posted seven strikeouts, allowing only one run on three hits.
At the plate, the Knights were led by Barrow's two-hit, one RBI performance.
UCF is back on the road Wednesday when they take on in-state rival Florida at 6 p.m. at Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.
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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