April 15, 2016
UCF - Houston Game 1 stats | UCF - Houston Game 2 stats
HOUSTON, Texas (UCFKnights.com) - It was a tale of two games for the UCF softball team on Friday. The Knights dropped the American Athletic Conference series opener against Houston, 7-0, before bouncing back with an 8-0 win in the second game at the Cougar Softball Stadium.
UCF (28-15, 5-1 The American) recorded just four hits in the series opener before recording the second-most hits of the season (13) in the nightcap.
Eight Knights recorded a hit in the second game, including a 3-for-4 performance from senior Samantha McCloskey. Freshman Cassady Brewer went 2-for-4 in game two, driving in three runs. Redshirt junior Jasmine Acevedo and sophomore Megan Greenwell each had two hits for the Black and Gold to close out the day.
Junior Manami Calixto earned her eighth win of the season, pitching a total-game shutout in the second game. She gave up just three hits with four strikeouts in the game.
Short At The Start
• The series opener went the way of the home team, as Houston used a two-run homer in the second to get on the board first. Two additional runs in the fifth and three in the sixth secured the Cougar victory.
• Juniors Linnea Goodman, Brittany Solis, Willow Kalinen and Jasmine Acevedo each recorded a hit for the Knights.
• Senior Shelby Turnier tossed five innings, fanning five batters in UCF's first conference loss of the season.
Rolling in the Runs
• Cassady Brewer put UCF on the scoreboard first in the second game. Her second home run of the season was a two-run shot over the center field wall in the top of the second.
• A solid hit up the middle from senior Kalyn Cenal drove in the third Black and Gold run of the game in the top of the sixth, but the Knights put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh.
• UCF went through its entire lineup in the top of the seventh, using six hits to push five runs across.
• The eight-run outing was UCF's highest-scoring conference game, and the most runs the Knights have scored since plating 10 against Indiana State on March 12.
Next up
Saturday's rubber match is set for a 1:30 p.m. ET start. The American Digital Network will broadcast the game for free.
Story by Megan Herboth; Photos by Brad Helton and Ryan Tjon Ajong