UCF - FAU NCAA Regional stats
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - Redshirt junior Jasmine Acevedo lifted the No. 3 Knights to a 1-0 win over No. 2 Florida Atlantic with a solo home run in the opening round of the NCAA Gainesville Regional at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on Friday afternoon.
"Shelby did a great job coming in and holding (FAU) down to two hits," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "It was a solid performance by her. Our girls have learned to fight, and that's what we were relying on in this game. FAU is a great team. We faced them earlier this season. Coming out here, being able to have a good outing, seeing the hits like the one Jasmine (Acevedo) had, and being able to get us into that game and win it was huge for us."
UCF (37-20) and FAU (50-8) were locked in a pitcher's duel for the entire contest. Acevedo worked a 1-2 count with one out in the top of the fifth before sending her second home run of the season out of the park.
"I think we knew we really had to lay off those rise balls and just wait for our pitch," Acevedo said. "My mindset was battle, fight and foul everything off that I didn't want, and the second I knew that pitch was coming, I just drove it."
The Knights, who are the No. 3 seed in the tournament, won their opening game in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.
Defense Does It
• The UCF defense came out strong on Friday. The Knights limited FAU to just two hits, and snapped the Owls' 21-game winning streak.
• Senior Shelby Turnier tossed the 23rd shutout of her career. Turnier and the defense kept an NCAA opponent off the scoreboard for the first time since since May 18, 2008, when UCF held No. 1 Florida scoreless in the Gainesville Regional.
On the Offense
• The Knights out-hit FAU, 6-2, in the opening game, and a pair of Knights turned in multi-hit performances.
• Redshirt junior Jasmine Acevedo went 2-for-3, and scored the game-winning run on a solo homer to left field. The Largo, Fla., native's second career home run dropped just outside of the fence in left field in the top of the fifth to put the Knights on top.
• Senior Jessica Ujvari went 2-for-2 at the plate for UCF, her 10th multi-hit game of the season.
• Junior Brittany Solis and freshman Cassady Brewer each knocked a hit for the Knights in the contest.
Next up
The Knights advance in the winner's bracket, facing the winner of the No. 1 Florida - No. 4 Alabama State game at noon on Saturday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.