April 16, 2016
Final Stats
UCF - Houston Game 3 stats
HOUSTON, Texas (UCFKnights.com) -Timely hitting lifted the UCF softball team to an 8-3 victory over Houston in Saturday's American Athletic Conference series finale at the Cougar Softball Stadium.
"The hitters came out and did a great job," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "It was just a great series overall. I'm very proud of the girls, how they stepped up and came back for the last two games."
UCF (29-15, 6-1 The American) used three home runs and 11 hits overall to win the series against the Cougars.
Four Knights, seniors Samantha McCloskey and Kalyn Cenal, sophomore Courtney Rotton and freshman Cassady Brewer, recorded two hits each in the game. Cenal, Brewer and senior Jessica Ujvari each drove in a pair of runs for the Black and Gold.
Home Run Hitters
* Three Knights hit home runs in the win, marking the first time this season that the Knights have had multiple round trippers in a game.
* Jessica Ujvari started it off with a two-out, two-run shot over the left field wall. Her team-leading sixth homer gave the Knights a 2-0 advantage.
* Courtney Rotton homered for the second straight conference series. She opened the third inning with a solo shot to left field.
* Kalyn Cenal connected on her first homer of the season in the top of the seventh. She opened the inning with a hard shot over the left field wall.
Solid Staff
* Senior Jamie Ujvari earned her 10th start of the season, tossing 2.1 innings for the Knights.
* Junior Manami Calixto came on in relief in the third inning and earned her ninth win of the season. She tossed two innings, allowing just one run on four hits.
* Senior Shelby Turnier entered with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fifth. She promptly collected a pair of strikeouts to keep the Cougars off the board. Turnier allowed just two hits with three strikeouts in the final 2.2 innings.
Next up
The Knights return to the UCF Softball Complex for a three-game American Athletic Conference series against Memphis. Friday's contest is set for a 5:30 p.m. ET start. First pitch on Saturday is slated for 2 p.m., and the series finale will take place Sunday at noon.
Story by Megan Herboth; Photos by Brad Helton