March 13, 2016
Final Stats
No. 25 UCF - Indiana State stats | No. 25 UCF - Purdue stats
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The No. 25 UCF softball team split Saturday action at the UCF Softball Complex. The Knights used a 10-2 run-rule win over Indiana State in five innings to extend its winning streak to 15 games, but fell short against Purdue, 3-2, in the nightcap.
We use these games as something to build us and learn from, assistant coach Tiffany Jordan said. We'll take that into postseason and conference play, which is coming up shortly. We look at it as 'what can we learn from it'.
UCF drew a program-record 12 walks against Indiana State as the Knights saw their winning streak improve to 15 games. Sophomore Courtney Rotton went 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored against the Sycamores.
The Knights rallied in the bottom of the sixth inning against Purdue, cutting the lead Boilermaker lead to a single run, 3-2, but fell short as their streak came to an end. Rotton and junior Linnea Goodman each knocked a pair of hits in the loss. Senior Shelby Turnier's six strikeouts brought her career total to 703, and made her just the third Knight with more than 700 career strikeouts.
Walk It Out
* In UCF's win over Indiana State, the team drew a program-record 12 walks.
* Linnea Goodman drew the first of the game as the leadoff hitter, and at least one Knight earned a base on balls in every inning.
* Seven Knights were walked in the game, led by senior Samantha McCloskey's game-high three.
* UCF sent a pair of runners home in the game after two different batters earned bases-loaded walks.
Courtney's Crushing It
* Courtney Rotton turned in dominant peroformances for the Knights this week.
* The Clermont, Fla., native went 5-for-7 at the plate on Saturday, including a 3-for-3 outing against Indiana State.
* In UCF's eight games this week, she turned in a team-high .417 batting average. Four of her 10 hits were for extra bases and she had seven RBI.
* Rotton also drew three walks and was hit by three pitches during the eight-game stretch.
Coach Tiffany Jordan on Rotton's play: She's in the zone. That ball must look like a volleyball to her right now. It was fun to watch her today, through both games. She was a player to watch today.
Next Up
The Knights are back in action at the UCF Softball Complex on March 15. The Knights host FAU at 3:30 p.m. and New Mexico State at 5:30 p.m. UCF closes out its 15-game home stand on March 16, hosting New Mexico State for a single game at 1 p.m.
Story by Megan Herboth; Video by Chip Fontanazza