April 17, 2013
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Andrew Jennette
UCFAthletics.com
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - After losing a two-run lead in the bottom of the seventh, the UCF softball team battled back to top Bethune-Cookman, 5-4, in nine innings on Wednesday afternoon at Sunnyland Park. The Knights (24-23) got a big solo home run from sophomore Farrah Sullivan and added a huge insurance run on some tremendous hustle base running to top the Wildcats (11-30).
With one out in the top of the ninth, Sullivan hit a line-drive laser that nearly skimmed the top of the wall as it went over to left. The homer was Sullivan's sixth of the season, tying her career-high, and was the fourth long ball in the last six games for the Waynesboro, Mississippi native. After a pair of walks, freshman Mariah Garcia hit a two hopper to second base and hustled down the line to avoid the double play. The Wildcats recorded a force out at second, but freshman Jasmine Acevedo never broke stride and came all the way around from second to score the deciding run with a headfirst slide just ahead of the throw at the plate.
Freshman Shelby Turnier got the start and earned the victory after allowing six hits and two runs (one earned) in eight innings to go along with six strikeouts. The victory improved Turnier to 12-7 and lowered her ERA to 2.52 on the season. After Turnier tossed the first six innings, sophomore Mackenzie Audas came in the game in the seventh looking for her fifth save of the year. The Plant City native was unable to hold the lead as she allowed four hits and two runs in one inning of work. Turnier reentered the contest to start the eighth and handled both of the extra frames.
With the score locked at one in the top of the sixth, UCF broke through with a pair of runs with the first coming on an RBI double by sophomore Kahley Novak. The Clermont native later took third for her conference-leading 28th stolen base of the year. Novak later came around to score on an RBI single by freshman Kaitlyn Steckel. Sophomore Hayley Barrow, who entered the game as a pinch runner and stayed on as a defensive replacement, hit a single, reached on a walk and stole a pair of bases in the contest.
The Knights got on the board first after a two-out RBI single by freshman Kalyn Cenal in the top of the third inning. The Tampa native picked up the 20th RBI of her rookie season and moved into second place on the team in that category.
The Black and Gold have three home games remaining at the UCF Softball Complex, including Senior Day this Sunday. Single game tickets are available for purchase online at UCFAthletics.com and Ticketmaster.com, or by calling the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at (407) UCF-1000.