April 22, 2016
Final Stats
UCF - Memphis Game 1 stats
UCF vs. Memphis - Game 1 (4/22/16) - Images by UCF Knights
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF softball team weathered an hour-long delay before topping Memphis 4-2 in American Athletic Conference action at the UCF Softball Complex on Friday evening.
"Shelby (Turnier) did a great job keeping (Memphis' hitters) off balance," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "Samantha McCloskey coming up and getting a big shot to get us ahead in the second inning was huge. All across the board our hitters were seeing the ball and having great at-bats."
UCF (30-15, 7-1 The American) and Memphis were heading to the seventh inning when lightning in the area led to an hour delay. The teams resumed for the final inning at 8:20 p.m.
Senior Samantha McCloskey drove in a pair of runs for the Knights. Senior Kalyn Cenal went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Senior Shelby Turnier earned her 14th win of the season, tossing a complete game for the Knights.
Super Sam
? Samantha McCloskey went 1-for-2 with two RBI for the Knights. She started the scoring, hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the second.
? The Detroit, Mich., native's third home run of the season gave the Knights a 2-0 lead. McCloskey now has 21 career round-trippers, moving within two of third-all-time at UCF.
? McCloskey also drew a walk to open the bottom of the fourth inning. She now has 74 career walks, tied for the seventh-most in program history.
Two and Two
? The Knights scored a pair of runs in the second inning on McCloskey's homer, taking a 2-0 lead early.
? UCF used an RBI single from junior Willow Kalinen to plate its third run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Redshirt junior Jasmine Acevedo scored the fourth run of the game on a wild pitch, pushing UCF's advantage to 4-0 after four complete innings.
? Memphis cut into the lead in the top of the sixth and added a run in the top of the seventh, but could only cut UCF's advantage in half before the Knights secured the final out.
Next up
The Knights are back in action against the Tigers on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the UCF Softball Complex. The teams conclude the series on Sunday at 11 a.m. Seniors Shelby Turnier and Jasmine Acevedo's Senior Knight trading cards will be available at Sunday's game.
Story by Megan Herboth; Video by Chip Fontanazza; Photos by Brad Helton