March 7, 2009
TULSA, Okla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Despite getting six hits, including a home run and a triple, from sophomore Tiffany Lane (Moreno Valley, Calif.), the UCF softball team dropped two games to Tulsa Saturday afternoon in its Conference USA opener at the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex. The Knights fell, 7-6, in an 11-inning heartbreaker in the opening contest, before getting handed a 7-2 loss in the nightcap.
On the day, Lane was 6-for-8 with a home run, a triple, three runs scored and two RBI to lead the Black and Gold at the plate. The sophomore posted four hits in the opening game, before recording a home run and a triple in game two.
Senior Breanne Javier (Castaic, Calif.) also had a productive day for UCF with her stick, posting four hits, a home run, four RBI and two runs scored.
GAME ONE - UCF 6, Tulsa 7 (11 innings)| Box Score
In the C-USA opener, the Knights fell just short in the 11-inning marathon, 7-6, despite getting a 4-for-5 performance at the plate from Lane and a 3-for-5 outing from Javier.
Lane posted a RBI and scored a run, while Javier recorded a home run, three RBI and scored two runs for the Black and Gold.
Hillary Barrow (Miami, Fla.) also had a solid outing offensively for the Knights, posting two hits, including her ninth double of the season, and a RBI.
Ashleigh Cole (Pace, Fla.) was tagged with the loss in the circle, dropping her record to 8-3 on the season. The hurler allowed six earned runs on 16 hits and struck out two batters, while throwing all 10.1 innings.
UCF battled its own demons in the contest, stranding 14 runners on base and committing three errors in the field.
Tulsa got on the board first, scoring two runs in the opening frame on three hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly, but Javier put the Knights on top in the third inning with a three-run shot over the left-field fence.
The senior's second home run of the season plated both Abby McClain (Waterloo, Iowa) and Lane, who reached earlier in the inning on back-to-back singles.
The Knights' lead last only two more innings, as the Golden Hurricane scored two more runs in the fourth inning, before Vanessa Perez (San Diego, Calif.) evened the score in the bottom of the fifth with a RBI double down the left-field line to score Javier, who reached earlier on a single up the middle.
After four scoreless innings, UCF plated two runs in the top of the 10th inning with a two-out RBI single to centerfield by Lane and a RBI walk by Barrow. The Knights got things rolling in the frame with two outs, when Land drew a walk and McClain was hit by a pitch delivered by Tulsa starter, Jackie Lawrence, putting a runner in scoring position for Lane's single. Javier drew a walk to load the bases to keep the inning alive, before Barrow watched four balls go by to put the Black and Gold ahead by two, 6-4.
The Golden Hurricane matched the Knights run-for-run in the bottom of the frame, to extend the contest into the 11th inning, where the home team would use three-consecutive hits to plate the winning run.
GAME TWO - UCF 2, Tulsa 7|Box Score
Lane starred again at the plate for UCF in the7-2 loss in the nightcap, going 2-for3 with a home run and a triple. The shortstop started the scoring early for the visiting Knights, hitting her third home run of the season to dead centerfield to put UCF by one, but Tulsa answered back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Javier evened the score, 2-2, with a RBI single in the third inning after Lane started off the frame with a two-out triple and scored on Javier's single to shallow right field.
The score did not stay tied for long, as Tulsa tacked three runs on the board in the bottom of the frame and added two more in the fourth to take a 7-2 lead, which would eventually become the final score.
Magon Paul (Virginia Beach, Va.) suffered the loss in the circle for UCF, giving up five runs on eight hits in three innings of work. Kristina DeMello (Mead, Wash.) would come in to complete the contest, scattering four hits and two runs in three innings of relief.
UCF closes out the series with Tulsa Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
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.
GAME NOTES:
- Breanne Javier's home run in the third inning was her second of 2009 and the sixth of her career. With two on the season, Javier matched her career-high for homers in a season, knocking two out of the park as a freshman in 2006.
- With her two-out triple in the second game against the Golden Hurricane, Tiffany Lane is now tied with Stephanie Best and Jania Shinhoster for the UCF all-time record with 13 career triples.
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