April 6, 2014
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By Nate Blythe
UCFKnights.com
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ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF softball team had its five-game American Athletic Conference win streak snapped on Sunday in a 4-1 loss to Rutgers at the UCF Softball Complex. Junior second baseman Kahley Novak extended her hitting streak to 13 games in the fifth inning and came around to score the only run for the Knights on a sacrifice fly by classmate Farrah Sullivan.
Jackie Bates proved to be the difference in the game as she paced Rutgers (17-12, 2-4 AAC) with three hits including a home runs and three runs batted in. The Scarlet Knights received a complete game from Alyssa Landrith (10-5) in the circle with seven strikeouts.
UCF tallied four hits in the contest, but stranded a total of seven runners on the base paths to fall to 27-12 and 5-1 in The American. As a part of Pink for UCF, the Knights wore pink jerseys is support of breast cancer awareness.
In the first three innings, sophomore pitcher Shelby Turnier sat down the first nine Scarlet Knights in order. The Palm Beach Gardens native even caught a popped up bunt and turned a double play by catching a runner off first to end the third.
The first failed opportunity for the Knights came in the first following an infield base hit by freshman outfielder Linnea Goodman and walk issued to Sullivan with one out. UCF was unable to push across the run the game.
The Knights moved freshman shortstop Brittany Solis to third base in the second inning with one out following a walk, stolen base and sac bunt by junior catcher Samantha McCloskey, but Landrith notched a pair strikeouts to end the threat.
The door opened for Rutgers in the fourth inning as Loren Williams drew a lead off walk. A one-out double into the right-center gap by Jackie Bates scored the first run before a seeing-eye single up the middle from Stephanie Huang drove in the second run.
The two runs for the Scarlet Knights were the first ones given up by a Knights starter in conference play this season.
UCF looked as if it was going to respond quickly by loading the bases with one out in the bottom-half on singles by sophomore designated player Jessica Ujvari and McCloskey and a walk drawn by Solis. Again, Landrith was up to the task in keeping the Knights off the scoreboard.
After Sullivan cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fifth, Bates connected on her fourth homer of the season off of junior reliever Mackenzie Audas to increase the Rutgers lead to 3-1 in the sixth. She also tacked on an insurance run in the seven with a single that dropped in front of the centerfielder.
The Knights travel to Stetson on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before heading to Tampa for a pivotal AAC series with rival USF that starts with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.