April 7, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF softball team will make the short trip to DeLand Wednesday to take on in-state rival Stetson at 5 p.m. at Patricia Wilson Field. Bright House Sports Network (Channel 47) will be broadcasting Wednesday's contest, with telecast slated to air on tape delay at 8 p.m. Wednesday evening. Check local listings for channel and broadcast time in your area.
GAME DAY ESSENTIALS
? Schedule
Wednesday, April 8
5:00 p.m. - UCF at Stetson
8:00 p.m. - Contest to be aired on Bright House Sports Network on tape delay
? The Coaches
UCF: Renee Luers-Gillispie
Stetson: Frank Griffin
? Records
UCF: 18-21, 4-8 C-USA
Stetson: 20-20, 3-7 A-SUN
? Series
UCF leads Stetson, 11-5
? Last Meeting
UCF 8, Stetson 0 (2008)
? UCF's Last Time Out
4.5.2009
vs. Southern Miss, W, 5-4 (8)
? Live Stats
Gametracker
(UCFAthletics.com)
? The UCF softball team enters Wednesday's game at Stetson with an 18-21 overall record after posting two win in the Conference USA series with Southern Miss last weekend. After falling in the opening game of the series, the Black and Gold battled back to take two-straight victories from the Golden Eagles to win the series.
? Stetson welcomes UCF to Patricia Wilson Field Wednesday evening with an even 20-20 record on the season after losing their last six contests. The Hatters held a six-game winning streak from March 17-23, before dropping seven of their last eight contests in Atlantic Sun action.
? The Knights lead the Hatters in the all-time series between the two squads, holding an 11-5 advantage, which includes victories in their last three meetings. Stetson, UCF's second-most contested opponent, has welcomed the Knights to DeLand eight times during the series, with the Black and Gold posting a 5-3 record on the road.
? In the teams' last meeting, UCF defeated the Hatters, 8-0, in five innings at the UCF Softball Complex, behind a shutout performance on the mound by Allison Kime. Also coming up big in the contest was Breanne Javier, who was 2-for-3 with three RBI at the plate for the home team.
? UCF has not given up a run to Stetson in the teams' last four games, out-scoring the Hatters, 15-0, during the stretch. The Knights also hold a, 17-3, scoring advantage against Stetson in their last four meetings.
BRIGHT-HOUSE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
For the second time this season, Abby McClain earned Bright House Student-Athlete of the Week honors on Monday for her performance last weekend. The sophomore went 6-for-11 on the week with a .727 slugging percentage and a .583 on base percentage. McClain posted two three-hit performances in the three-game series vs. Southern Miss, giving her eight on the season, a feat that no other Knight has ever achieved. She was a perfect 3-for-3 in the opener with a RBI and a run scored and 3-for-5 in the series finale with two doubles, two RBI and one run scored. The second of the two doubles was a walk-off game-winner, coming with two outs in the eighth.
THE QUEST FOR 300
With 18 wins on the season, the UCF softball team and Renee Luers-Gillispie need only four more wins in 2009 for the duo to reach the 300-win mark at the Division I level. Gillispie and the Knights currently hold a 296-204-1 all-time record.
MOVING TO THE FRONT
With eight three-hit games under her belt in her sophomore season, Abby McClain surpassed Stephanie Best for the program record for three-hit games in a season on Sunday vs. Southern Miss. McClain set the record with a two-out, two-RBI, walk-off double in the eighth inning to give the Knights the league-series win. Best, who previously held the record, had seven three-hit games as a sophomore in 2003.
ON DECK FOR THE KNIGHTS
The Black and Gold will continue C-USA play Friday and Saturday when it takes on the league's top team, Marshall. Friday's doubleheader with the Thundering Herd is scheduled to get underway at 3 p.m., while Sunday's contest is slated for Noon.
LAY IT DOWN
Junior Ashleigh Cole put her name at the top of the record books Sunday, after laying down three sacrifice bunts in the series finale against the Golden Eagles. The trio of sacrifice hits matched Cici Alvarez's record-setting mark for sacs in a game set on Feb. 24, 2007 against George Mason.
500...AGAIN
Last season, head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie reached 500 wins in her career as a head coach with a win over league-foe, UAB. With the Knights' win over Southern Miss Saturday, the skipper once again reached the milestone of 500. Gillispie recorded her 500th win at the Division I level in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader and now holds a 501-380-3 record at college's top-level.
LUCKY NO. 13
Pitcher Kristina DeMello put together a career-performance Saturday, striking out a career-high 13 batters on her way to picking up her fifth win of the season in the circle. DeMello collected three strikeouts in the second, fourth and seventh innings, while fanning two batters in the sixth. DeMello allowed only one run on four hits to earn the complete-game victory, while improving her record to 5-6 on the season and dropping her overall ERA to a 2.93. The 13 whiffs was a season-best for UCF's pitching staff in 2009 and rank in a tie for third in C-USA this season.
EXTRA INNINGS
Fans can catch up with the Knights each week by watching `Extra Innings with Renee Luers-Gillispie' on Knights All-Access, exclusively at UCFAtheltics.com. The skipper reviews the week that was, previews the Knights' upcoming contests and answers fan questions on every episode of the broadcast. Curious Knight enthusiasts can also find out Gillispie's pick for the team's player of the week in each installment.
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