Feb. 26, 2016
Final Stats
No. 22 UCF - No. 23 Notre Dame | No. 22 UCF - Yale Stats
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The No. 22 UCF softball team split its action on the opening day of the Citrus Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The Knights came up short in a 5-1 decision to No. 23 Notre Dame before bouncing back with an 8-2 win over Yale on Friday.
"We were kind of back on our heels in the first game," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "In this second game with Yale, I felt like the energy that Taylor Bell brought to that game was a big, big plus. The energy is something we talk about a lot. The focus, the heart that you bring to these games is important."
Senior Jessica Ujvari provided the lone run of the game against the Fighting Irish. Her third home run of the season was a solo shot over the left center wall.
Freshman Taylor Bell went 2-for-3 with two RBI as the Knights defeated Yale in the nightcap. Redshirt junior Jasmine Acevedo's hit batted in three runs. Junior Manami Calixto (3-0) tossed a complete game and fanned five batters.
Fighting Irish Frustration
* Notre Dame used a two-run first inning to jump on the Knights early. The Fighting Irish added to their lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth, and put the game out of reach with a two-run sixth inning.
* Jessica Ujvari helped the Knights avoid the shutout with a solo home run in the top of the seventh. The Pensacola, Fla., native led off with her third homer of the season.
* Senior Shelby Turnier stuck out eight batters in a complete-game effort for the Knights.
Bravo For Bell
* Taylor Bell earned the starting nod at second base against Yale, marking her first collegiate start.
* The Bradenton, Fla., native's first collegiate hit was a two-out single through the right side. She batted in a pair of base runners to tie the ball game.
* Bell finished the game with a pair of hits, two RBI, two assists and a putout.
"Taylor Bell has the heart of a lion when she plays. You can see that by the way she played today. We wanted to get her some time at second base, and put Megan Greenwell in right field. The energy that those two brought to the team was a big plus." - Coach Gillispie
Sharing The Wealth
* Eight different Knights recorded a hit against Yale. Bell and junior Brittany Solis led the way with two hits each.
* Four batters finished with at least one run batted in. Bell was one of two Knights to knock in multiple runs.
* Jasmine Acevedo stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third and sent a pitch out to the wall in right center. All three runners scored, putting the game out of reach at 6-2.
Next Up
The Knights are back in action on Saturday at the Citrus Classic II at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. UCF faces Syracuse at 1:15 p.m. ET, and closes out the weekend against Charlotte at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Story by Megan Herboth; Photos by Brad Helton