April 9, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF softball team returns home this weekend to host Conference USA-leader Marshall in a three-game league series at the UCF Softball Complex. The three-game event begins Friday with a doubleheader scheduled for 3 p.m., before concluding on Saturday with a single game at Noon.
GAME DAY ESSENTIALS
? Schedule
Friday, April 10
3:00 p.m. - UCF vs. Marshall (Game One)
5:00 p.m. - UCF vs. Marshall (Game Two)
Saturday, April 11
12:00 p.m. - UCF vs. Marshall
? The Coaches
UCF: Renee Luers-Gillispie
Marshall: Shonda Stanton
? C-USA Standing
UCF: 7th (4-8)
Marshall: 1st (7-2)
? Series
UCF leads Marshall, 8-5
? Last Meeting
UCF 7, Marshall 1 (2008)
? Last C-USA Series
Southern Miss 1 at UCF 2
Memphis 0 at Marshall 3
? UCF'S Last Time Out
4.8.2009
at Stetson, W, 4-3
? Radio
Stretch Radio
(UCFAthletics.com)
? Live Video
Knights All-Access
(UCFAthletics.com)
? Live Stats
Gametracker
(UCFAthletics.com)
? The UCF softball team welcomes Marshall to the UCF Softball Complex this weekend with a 19-21 overall record and a 4-8 Conference USA mark, after winning its last three games, including two against league-foe Southern Miss last weekend. The Knights are currently riding a three-game winning streak heading into the C-USA series, which was capped off with a win at Stetson on Wednesday.
? Marshall travels south to Orlando this weekend with a 21-10 record on the season, while leading C-USA with a 7-2 league-record. In their last conference series, the Thundering Herd swept Memphis at home in Huntington, W.Va., and have been victorious in its last five contest following a sweep of Radford Wednesday.
? UCF leads Marshall, 8-5, in the teams' all-time series after sweeping the Thundering Herd in Huntington last season. Abby McClain, Breanne Javier and Tiffany Lane were all instrumental in the sweep at the plate, combining for 15 of the Knights' 24 hits and nine of the team's 14 RBI. On the mound, Allison Kime posted two wins for the Black and Gold, allowing only three earned runs in 18.0 innings pitched.
? The Knights have defeated Marshall in the teams' last five meetings, which includes a win in the C-USA Championship at the UCF Softball Complex in 2007. UCF has outscored the Thundering Herd 24-8 in the five-game stretch.
? Heading into Friday's contest, UCF, along with head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie, is only three wins away from reaching the 300-win milestone as a program.
TRIPLE TIME
Tiffany Lane pulled in the Knights' highest ranking in the NCAA National Rankings again this week. With seven triples this season, the sophomore ranks second among her Division I counterparts, only one behind national-leader Aud Phillips from Southern University. One more triple would tie Lane for the most in the nation and would also put the shortstop on the top of the UCF single-season record chart. Lane also ranks sixth nationally in triples per game (0.19), while the Knights' defense sits at No. 10 in the nation for double-plays per game (0.51).
THE QUEST FOR 300
With 19 wins on the season, the UCF softball team and Renee Luers-Gillispie need only three 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 297-204-1 all-time record.
ON DECK FOR THE KNIGHTS
Next on the agenda for the Black and Gold is a trip to Gainesville to battle top-ranked Florida on Wednesday, April 15. In both 2007 and 2008, the Knights and the Gators were rained out at Katie Seashole Pressley Stadium during the regular season. The two teams finally met during the NCAA Gainesville Regional last season, with Florida taking two of three games from UCF in the post-season.
HOME RUN TIME
With Abby McClain and Lindsay Dean both hitting bombs in UCF's win over Stetson on Wednesday, the UCF softball team surpassed its home run total of 15 from last season, with McClain and Dean hitting numbers 16 and 17 for the Black and Gold in 2009. The pair of round-trippers also marked only the second time this season that UCF has hit two home runs in a game. The last time the Knights had a pair of homers in a single contest was on Feb. 6 at Arizona State during the Kajikawa Classic.
ON THE UPSWING
After posting a dismal 2-12 record in the month of March, the Black and Gold have put a spring in their step in April, already surpassing their win total from last month with a win over Stetson on Wednesday. The Knights are now 3-1 in the month of April.
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