April 27, 2008
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Allison Kime (Brandon, Fla.) pitched her 11th shutout of the season in the circle, while Breanne Javier (Castaic, Calif.) was 2-for-3 with three RBI at the plate, to lead the UCF (40-17) softball team to a, 8-0, win over in-state rival Stetson (37-21) in five innings Sunday afternoon at the UCF Softball Complex.
The five-inning affair was the second-consecutive run-rule game for the Knights after blanking Memphis, 8-0 in five innings in their last outing on April 20.
With her single in the third inning, Javier extended her hitting streak to 11 games, which ties for the longest stretch this season. The junior also posted her 25th multiple-hit game and her seventh multiple-RBI game of 2008, both are marks that lead her team.
Kime allowed only two hits in the contest, while striking out seven to pick up her 25th victory of the season in her last outing at the UCF Softball Complex.
"This win was a great way to finish off the home portion of our schedule," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "Watching Allison pitch in the very first game to open up the new softball complex and then seeing her throw the last pitch of the 2008 home season shows how her record-breaking contributions have shaped our program over the last three seasons."
The win gave the Knights 40 wins on the season through 57 games, the fastest to the number to date, and marks the fourth time in program history that UCF has posted 40 or more wins in a season. The last time the Black and Gold posted 40 or more wins in a season was in 2005, the year it made its debut in the NCAA Tournament.
The Knights went up by three runs in the third inning after Ashley Van Ryn (Atlanta, Ga.) led off the inning with a single through the right side and moved to third on a Stetson micue following a sacrifice bunt attempt by Abby McClain (Waterloo, Iowa). A walk to Marquita Council (Orlando, Fla.) loaded the bases for the home team, before an infield single by Javier brought in the Knights' first run. Hillary Barrow (Miami, Fla.) added the final two runs of the inning with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring McClain from third, and a throwing error by the centerfielder on the play allowed Council to touch home safely.
Five runs in the fourth inning put the game away for the Black and Gold, giving it the eight-run advantage it needed to end the game in five innings. The frame started with a walk issued to Lindsay Dean (Jacksonville, Fla.), before Cat Snapp (Niceville, Fla.) hit a screamer off the left-centerfield wall to put runners at first and third with no outs. McClain liked what she saw from Snapp two batters earlier and belted a double of her own off the left-centerfield wall, scoring both pinch-runner Morgan Bullard (Columbia, S.C.) and Snapp. Tiffany Lane (Moreno Valley, Calif.) kept the hitting barrage alive with a single up the middle and Council loaded the bases with a single of her own. Javier's single through the right side of the infield plated two more runs, and Barrow's second sacrifice fly of the game sealed the victory for the Knights.
"We were very focused and made good adjustments in the third and fourth innings to get the key hits that we needed to take the lead over Stetson," Luers-Gillispie said. "This game provides us with the momentum we need going into our last Conference USA series with Southern Miss next weekend."
Barrow's pair of sacrifice flies ties the UCF single-game mark last set by Snapp last season at Jacksonville.
The Knights play one final mid-week contest on April 30 at Bethune-Cookman, before concluding their regular-season schedule at Southern Miss May 3-4.
The Knights look to clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament when they compete for the Conference USA Softball Championship title May 8-10 at Houston. For tickets, visit c-usa.org. 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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