March 5, 2010
| UCF vs. Harvard March 5, 2010 |
| Orlando, Fla. (UCF Softball Complex) | |||||||||
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
| Harvard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
| UCF | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | x | 9 | 5 | 0 | |
Game Notes
? WP: UCF - Ashleigh Cole (6-4)
? LP: Harvard - Jessica Ferri (0-1)
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ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF softball team used a five-run fourth inning to defeat visiting Harvard, 9-0, Friday afternoon at the UCF Softball Complex. The contest, which was the first for the Knights while hosting the 2010 UCF Tournament, was shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule.
Sophomore Natalie Land (Mayo, Fla.) was the squad's leader at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored. Two additional Knights registered two RBI in the contest, with Hillary Barrow (Miami, Fla.) blasting a two-run double and scoring a run, and Ashleigh Cole (Pace, Fla.) going 1-for-2 with a two-RBI single.
Besides producing at the plate, Cole also earned the win in the circle for the Black and Gold to improve to 6-4 on the year. The hurler allowed only two hits to the Crimson and struck out five batters in 4.0 innings of work to tally her first shutout victory of 2010.
Diana Rojas (Miami, Fla.) would enter the game in relief in the top of the fifth inning to complete the shutout, allowing one hit and walking one batter.
UCF lit up the scoreboard for the first time in the bottom of the third inning on four-consecutive walks allowed by Harvard pitcher Jessica Perri. With the bases juiced, Cole stepped to the plate and, with a single up the middle of the infield, drove in two more runs for the Knights. Arielle Palafox (Lakewood, Calif.) gave the Black and Gold a four-run cushion heading into the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Barrow from third base.
Abby McClain (Waterloo, Iowa) extended UCF's lead in the fourth with a RBI single down the left field line, before a single to centerfield off the bat of Land plated two more runs for the Knights in the inning. Barrow would finish off the Crimson with a two-RBI double to centerfield, scoring both McClain and Land, to give UCF a nine-run advantage through four innings.
McClain went 1-for-2 for the Black and Gold with a RBI, a walk and a game-best two runs scored.
Rojas would pitch a successful final inning for the home team to seal the victory and end the game due to the eight-run rule.
The Knights are back in action later tonight when they face College of Charleston at 8 p.m. at the UCF Softball Complex.
Season tickets for the 2010 season are only $40 and are on sale now, while single-game tickets are also available for purchase. Tickets can be purchased online at UCFAthletics.com or through the Athletics Ticket Office by calling (407) 823-1000.
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.
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