April 8, 2011
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By Sarah Tarasewicz
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Coming off a thrilling non-conference victory over Florida State Wednesday, the UCF softball team returns to Conference USA action this weekend when it travels to Greenville, N.C., for a three-game series vs. East Carolina. The Knights and the Pirates will face-off in a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m., before closing out the series Sunday at 12 p.m.
The Black and Gold enters the series with a 13-22 record on the season and a 3-6 league record following its come-from-behind win vs. the Seminoles. In the contest, senior Diana Rojas (Miami, Fla.) pitched one of the finest games of her career, as she allowed only one run on four hits in a complete-game gem. Rojas struck out one and did not give up a walk to improve her record to 5-7 on the year.
The senior has picked up two wins in the Knights' last four outings, which includes the win over FSU and a complete-game shutout performance vs. UAB on March 26 to hand the Blazers their first C-USA loss of 2011.
On the offensive side of the ball, senior Tiffany Lane (Moreno Valley, Calif.) has been swinging the hottest bat for the Black and Gold, boasting a .440 average in the Knights' last 12 games. During the span, she has posted 11 hits, a triple, four RBI, scored six runs and walked seven times.
East Carolina hosts UCF with a 28-11 overall record and an 8-4 league mark following A C-USA series sweep at Southern Miss last weekend and a 2-1 victory at UNC Wilmington Wednesday. The Pirates are led once again by two-time C-USA Pitcher of the Year Toni Paisley, who boasts a 21-5 record on the season, a 1.12 ERA and 232 strikeouts.
The last time UCF and ECU met on the diamond was in the 2010 C-USA Championship Game, in which the Pirates edged the Knights, 3-1, to take home the league title in Houston.
In the all-time series, East Carolina holds a 16-2 advantage over the Black and Gold, with UCF's last win coming on March 9, 2008 in a 10-6 victory at the UCF Softball Complex.
The Knights are 0-6 when playing in Greenville.
Fans can follow all the action on UCFAthletics.com through Gametracker and can watch the game live through C-USA All-Access.