March 6, 2015
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Megan Herboth
UCFKnights.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - After falling 1-0 in the weekend opener against Kent State, No. 15 UCF Softball rebounded with a 3-0 win over Bradley in the UCF Knights Invitational at the UCF Softball Complex on Friday.
"I feel like our pitchers both did a great job," UCF head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "Pitching-wise, we're doing great. Defense-wise, we're doing great. We need to get a little stronger intensity in our offense."
In the nightcap, senior Mackenzie Audas earned her 62nd career win in the circle, tying Ashleigh Cole for the second-most victories in UCF Softball history. The Plant City, Fla., native pitched her 75th complete game, and the first out of the seventh inning was her 800th career strikeout.
For the first time in 19 games, UCF (16-4) failed to score a run in the opening loss to Kent State. The Knights put a runner on in the first, as senior Kahley Novak walked, but could not send her home.
Junior Shelby Turnier struck out the first two batters that she faced, but a solo home run over the fence in left center gave the Golden Flashes the early advantage. Turnier finished with seven strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
Senior Farrah Sullivan reached on an error in the second, and Novak beat out the throw for UCF's first hit of the game in the third, but both runners were left stranded on base.
Sullivan started a seventh-inning rally, drawing UCF's second walk of the game. Freshman Courtney Rotton's single to left field put two runners on with one out in the bottom of the inning, but a foul out and a strikeout ended the game.
UCF put runners on in the first two innings, but left them on base both times to open the nightcap against Bradley.
A three-run third inning began with sophomore Linnea Goodman's base hit. After junior Kalyn Cenal walked, junior Jessica Ujvari was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Sullivan.
Her RBI single to right center scored Goodman and kept the bases loaded for Rotton. The freshman sent a hard hit out to left field, scoring a pair of runs to pad the Black and Gold lead.
The Knights left runners on in the fourth and fifth, but kept the Braves off the scoreboard. After the UCF batters retired in order in the bottom of the sixth, Audas closed the game with three straight strikeouts to give the Knights their 16th win of the season.
UCF Softball, which is presented by City Kia of Greater Orlando, and Kent State are back at the UCF Softball Complex for a rematch on Saturday. First pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m. The Black and Gold close out the UCF Knights Invitational on Sunday, hosting Michigan State at 2 p.m.