March 15, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Breanne Javier's (Castaic, Calif.) two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning plated the game-winning run for the UCF softball team in its, 6-5, Conference USA victory over UAB Sunday afternoon at the UCF Softball Complex, giving the Knights their first league-series win of 2009.
"I was just thinking that with two outs I needed to come up with a clutch hit," Javier said following the game. "I knew that I needed to hit the ball out of the infield in order to score to runs, so that was my mindset during that at-bat, just to bring in the runs any way that I could."
The victory improved UCF's record to 16-15 on the season and 2-4 in league play, with both C-USA wins coming over the weekend against the Blazers (10-14, 3-3 C-USA).
"With the game on the line, Bre found a way to get the job done and get us the win today," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "I am really proud of the way that all of the seniors stepped up today and took charge of that game. That is really what senior leadership is all about."
Javier paced the Knights at the plate on the day with two hits and three RBI, while Mary Helen Tyler (Marianna, Fla.) also collected two hits for the home team and scored the game-tying run. Five additional Knights had at least one hit in the game, as the team combined for nine hits.
In her second appearance during the C-USA series with UAB, Ashleigh Cole (Pace, Fla.) picked up her second-straight victory in the circle for UCF, allowing five runs on seven hits, while striking out five, in a complete-game outing. The junior is now 10-4 on the season and 2-2 in league outings.
It only took two batters for the Knights to get their first run on the board, as Abby McClain (Waterloo, Iowa) led off the game with a single to shallow centerfield and Lane drove her in with a RBI triple over the centerfielder's head. Lane would score on the next pitch, as Javier hit a strike up the middle for a single.
Lane's triple in the inning was the 14th of her career and gives her sole possession of the all-time record, surpassing Stephanie Best and Jania Shinhoster. The three-bagger also was also Lane's seventh this season and matches her single-season record set last season.
"My mom was actually the one that brought the record to my attention yesterday," Lane said. "So I told her that I would break the record while she was here to see it. I tried to do it yesterday, but obviously that did not work, so I just went out there and did it today for her, and that made her really happy."
With bases loaded in the fourth inning, senior Lindsay Dean (Jacksonville, Fla.) hit a long sacrifice fly to the left-field warning track to extend UCF's lead to three runs, before a RBI single to right centerfield by Vanessa Perez (San Diego, Calif.) brought around the Knights' fourth run.
Cole and her defense were perfect through the first three innings, sitting down nine-straight UAB batters, before Martina Landrum posted the Blazers' first hit of the game and started things for her team. The Blazers rallied in the top of the sixth inning, plating a run on three bunt-singles and a RBI line drive by Andrea Rogers, before a three-run double by Amanda Allen evened the game, 4-4, with nobody out. A wild pitch by Cole allowed pinch runner Tiffany Smith to touch home and gave the visitors their first lead of the contest, before the Knights recorded three-straight outs to get out of the inning.
With two outs and the bases loaded for Javier in the bottom of the frame, the senior put UCF back in the lead for good with a single to right field, allowing both Tyler and Tenisha Dixon (New Port Richey, Fla.) to touch home and score the game-winning run.
UCF continues its seven-game homestand when it hosts in-state rival FIU Tuesday at 6 p.m., before concluding the stretch vs. Iowa Thursday at 5 p.m.
Season tickets are on sale now for the 2009 softball season, which features 34 home games at the UCF Softball Complex. For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
-UCF-