May 3, 2015
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Megan Herboth
UCFKnights.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) -- In their final regular season home game, the seniors made their presence known asNo. 15 UCF Softball defeatedUSF, 6-1, to claim the American Athletic Conference series win at the UCF Softball Complex on Sunday. The Knights improved to 46-7 overall, with a 16-2 record in The American.
Senior Mackenzie Audas tossed a one-hit complete game with four strikeouts to earn her 23rd win in the circle. Seniors Farrah Sullivan, Kahley Novak and Maddy Schroeder combined for five of UCF's nine hits and three of the six runs scored.
"These five seniors have broken so many UCF Softball records," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "They have an opportunity to go further than we've ever gone in the postseason. They've earned back-to-back conference championships. They're actually making it tougher for the next generation to set records. They fight for each other and that's why we are where we are right now."
After four and a half scoreless innings, sophomore Willow Kalinen began the UCF rally in the bottom of the fifth with a single through the left side. Schroeder used a well-placed bunt to give the Knights two baserunners. A sacrifice bunt from sophomore Linnea Goodman advanced both runners and Kalinen scored on a passed ball to give UCF a 1-0 lead.
Novak and Schroeder both came around to score on classmate Sullivan's double to right center. The Knights held a 3-0 lead heading to the sixth.
USF opened the sixth inning with a double to right field, the onlyhit for the Bulls in the game. Juli Weber came around to score on a wild pitch, pulling the Bulls within two, 3-1.
Junior Kalyn Cenal responded in the bottom of the frame, turning the first pitch that she saw into her 11th home run of the season. With two outs and a runner on first, Novak tripled to center field, giving the Knights a 5-1 lead. A throwing error on the play allowed Novak to score and push the Black and Gold advantage to 6-1 heading to the seventh inning.
The Bulls put runners on the corners with one out in the top of the seventh, but a strikeout and a pop up ended the threat and secured UCF's series win.
UCF Softball, which is presented by City Kia of Greater Orlando, is back in action May 8 in the American Athletic Conference Softball Championship, which will take place at the UCF Softball Complex. As the No. 1 seed, the Knights will have a first-round bye and will play their first game at 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday. UCF faces the winner of the No. 4 East Carolina-No. 5 South Florida game which will take place at 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursday.