April 6, 2016
Final Stats
UCF v. No. 2 Florida (4/6/16) - Images by UCF Knights
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF softball team battled No. 2 Florida in front of a crowd of 1,064, but came up short in a 3-1 decision at the UCF Softball Complex on Wednesday evening.
"I thought overall our girls did a great job, with the exception of those couple of mistakes we had today," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "This is what the game's all about - you have to be able to play your best game against the best teams."
UCF (24-14) collected two of its three hits in the game from sophomore Courtney Rotton. Redshirt junior Jasmine Acevedo drove in a run, while junior Brittany Solis drew a pair of walks. Senior Shelby Turnier struck out five batters in a complete-game effort.
Electric Atmosphere
? The 1,064 fans in attendance at Wednesday's game marked the second-largest crowd in program history. The record was set on March 31, 2010, when 1,091 fans filled the stadium to watch the Knights take on No. 6 Florida.
? The fans filled the stadium and lined up behind the outfield fence to watch the in-state battle.
? UCF surpassed its previous season-best attendance, 787 against No. 5 Alabama, by nearly 300. The Knights now have four games from the 2016 season that rank among the top ten most-attended games - No. 2 Florida (1,064), No. 5 Alabama (787), No. 21 James Madison (758) and South Dakota (558).
Coach Gillispie on the crowd: "It was fantastic. When girls play in front of a crowd like that, they get very excited to hear the fans supporting them."
Keeping It Close
? After the Gators scored twice in the first inning, UCF held the Florida offense to no runs for the following five innings. .
? Senior Samantha McCloskey led off the bottom of the fifth with a hit by pitch, and freshman pinch runner Tiffany Lower tagged up on a pop-fly to move to second. Lower cut Florida's lead in half on an RBI single from Jasmine Acevedo. The Knights trailed Florida 2-1 heading to the sixth inning.
? UCF threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with one out, but the Gators got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts.
Next up
The Knights welcome Tulsa for its American Athletic Conference home opener on Friday. Hosting the Golden Hurricane for a three-game series, Friday's 5:30 p.m. contest will air on the American Digital Network.
Story by Megan Herboth; Video by Conor Engelhardt; Photos by Brad Helton