March 31, 2012
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Andrew Jennette
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Senior Vanessa Perez went 3-for-7 and knocked in four runs as UCF swept a doubleheader against East Carolina on Saturday at the UCF Softball Complex.
The Knights (25-10, 5-3 Conference USA) easily handled the Pirates (15-19, 3-5) in the first game, 8-2, in a game that featured a two-hour rain delay. Unfazed by the lengthy wait, UCF came through with a 2-0 victory in the nightcap to complete the sweep in front of several former UCF softball players on alumni weekend.
UCF has won five-straight games and it concludes its three-game series with East Carolina with a single game at noon on Sunday.
Game 1 - UCF 8, East Carolina 2 - Box Score
The Knights rallied from an early deficit and cruised to an easy victory in game one of the doubleheader. Trailing 1-0 with two runners in scoring position, Perez came through with her first big hit of the day as she dropped a single into right field that plated both runners and gave the Knights a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish.
Later in the inning, junior Alena Murgatroyd singled into shallow left and Perez showed off her speed as she raced home from second, sliding in just under the tag on a close play, to put the Knights up 3-1.
The Black and Gold put five runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Two singles and an error loaded the bases with no one out and Perez again came through with an RBI single into left to make it 5-1. Later in the inning, UCF scored twice on one play thanks to heads-up base running. With the bases still loaded, Murgatroyd hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored a run. Freshman Farrah Sullivan then intentionally got into a run down at first and stayed alive long enough for a second run to score all the way from second and give the Knights their eighth run.
Senior Ali Schmidt improved her record to 7-2 after picking up the complete-game victory. Schmidt allowed seven hits and two unearned runs while striking out three. She lowered her season ERA to 1.62
Game 2 - UCF 2, East Carolina 0 - Box Score
Freshman Mackenzie Audas battled through a lengthy rain delay and flu-like symptoms to twirl her fourth-consecutive shutout as she improved to 13-5 on the season. Audas went seven innings and allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out five. She lowered her C-USA leading ERA to 1.09 and increased her conference-leading strikeout total to 143.
The Knights took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when senior Tawny Swan hit an RBI single up the middle that scored freshman Kahley Novak from second. Swan went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in the doubleheader.
Later in the game, the Knights added a crucial insurance run as senior Natalie Land walked and stole her 22nd base of the season to get into scoring position. Perez followed with an opposite-field single into right that easily scored Land and put the Black and Gold up two runs.
Upcoming home games include a sold-out April 11 contest against in-state rival Florida. Season tickets are $25 and are available online at UCFAthletics.com and Ticketmaster.com or by calling the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000.
UCF fans can follow all of the action on UCF All-Access with live video and audio, and on UCFAthletics.com's Gametracker as well as www.twitter.com/UCF_Softball.