April 18, 2008
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF softball (36-17, 11-6 C-USA) team gears up for its final home Conference USA series of the season when they host Memphis at the UCF Softball Complex April 19-20. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m., while Sunday's contest is set for Noon. The series finale on Sunday also marks Senior Day for the Knights' five departing upperclassmen.
Previewing Memphis
The Tigers enter this weekend's series with a 24-21 record on the season and currently sits at ninth in league standings with a 4-10 league mark. Memphis has, however, won eight of its last 10 games, including a series sweep over C-USA-foe UTEP on April 5-6 and doubleheader sweeps over UT Martin and Alcorn State.
Leila Dolfo leads the Tigers in 11 offensive categories, including hits (44), doubles (10), home runs (11), RBI (33) and batting average (.333) just to name a few. Kimber Bossom has seen the most time in the circle, posting a 10-10 record and a 2.97 ERA in 127.1 innings pitched.
UCF trails Memphis in the all-time series, 2-4, after falling in three games to the Tigers in the regular-season finale in Memphis last season.
Breaking Records Like It's Her Job
Allison Kime holds almost every program pitching record at UCF and needs only 18 more strikeout to hold the top spot in another. The senior sits at 249 strikeouts on the season, only 17 whiffs less than her 266 K total from 2007, a mark that broke her previous single-season strikeout record of 222 in 2006. Given her performances in the circle in her last eight starts, Kime could possibly claim that record on Sunday, considering she has posted 10 or more strikeouts in seven of her last eight starts, totaling 89 Ks during that stretch.
Her 8.2 strikeouts per seven innings this season also rank first in UCF single-season history, an improvement of 1.24 whiffs from her 6.99 strikeouts per innings at the conclusion of last season.
Keepin' the Hit-Train Coming
Junior Breanne Javier is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak going into the league-series with Memphis, a stretch that began on April 5 in the final game against No. 9 Houston. Since that game, the first-baseman is hitting .545 with 12 hits, two doubles, three runs, two RBI, a walk, a stolen base and one hit-by-pitch. The streak also includes four-multiple hit games, including a 3-for-3 performance against Florida State in game two of the doubleheader at the UCF Softball Complex on April 9. On the season, Javier has totaled 22 multiple hits games, four more than she had in 2007.
Hanging Tough
Despite leaving El Paso with a 1-2 mark last weekend, the Knights still managed to receive a pair of votes in the April 15 poll, dropping them down one spot from last week to No. 34.
The votes this week mark the third time this season that the Knights have been given at least one tally in the coaches' poll, garnering seven votes last week and a single vote in the poll on March 25.
You Can't Touch This
Allison Kime's 15 strikeouts against UTEP on Sunday were the second-most in a Conference USA game all-time, with Courtney Blades holding the all-time mark with a 21-strikeout performance against LSU in 200.
The 15 Ks also tied the UCF single-game record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game, a mark Kime set earlier in the season against Vermont.
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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