TULSA, Okla. (UCFKnights.com) - After No. 24 Tulsa scored two runs in the seventh inning and had the bases loaded with two outs, UCF freshman starting pitcher Alea White reentered the game. The Land O'Lakes, Fla., native notched her second strikeout to secure a 4-3 win and series victory at regular-season champion Tulsa on Sunday.
"Coming back in the seventh with the bases loaded, I felt a rush of energy," White said. "I knew that I had to get the job done. I promised my teammates last night that if they gave me runs, then I would win the game. I let my defense do the work after the offense provided me with the lead."
A pair of insurance runs on solos shots by junior Courtney Rotton and sophomore Cassady Brewer proved to be the difference in the contest. Rotton's third-inning blast was her third of the season, while the eventual game-winning run was scored on Brewer's round tripper in the fifth frame.
"When I look at this team, we are so scrappy," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "As we get closer and closer to postseason, you see them fighting for everything that they have. They really wanted it. You could see them really fighting for this opportunity to be the three seed."
The victory also secured the No. 3 seed in The American Championship that starts for UCF on Thursday against No. 6 seed and host East Carolina. The Knights (29-22, 11-7 The American) clinched their 12th-straight road conference series and move to 22-1 in three-game sets since moving to The American in 2014.
White started in the circle and totaled 4.1 innings after coming in to notch the final out. The Land O'Lakes, Fla., native yielded four hits in the outing and tallied her 18th victory of the campaign.
"The adjustments that I made going into today's game were that I had to keep the ball low, mix it up and trust my defense," White said. "I knew that they were going to hit the ball, but I had to trust my defense."
A total of 2.1 innings of relief was registered by freshman Kamryn Toney, who conceded two runs. The second out in the seventh frame was notched by freshman Damara Begin.
After Tulsa scored a run on a pair of hits in the first inning, UCF responded in its next at bat and took advantage of a pair of two-out errors. Freshman Aubrey Johnson reached on a mistake by the third baseman and took second on an errant throw, then scored on a double to left by junior Megan Greenwell. A ball off the bat of senior Linnea Goodman that was mishandled by an infielder enabled Greenwell to cross the plate, putting the Knights up 2-1.
Next Up
No. 3 UCF begins The American Championship in Greenville, N.C., on Thursday at 4 p.m. against host No. 6 East Carolina.
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