ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF softball team left the UCF Softball Complex Friday evening with a victory to take the first game of the final regular season series over ECU, 3-1.
Cassady Brewer and Erin Emanuel each drove in runs for the Knights, while Denali Schappacher went 2-for-3 to extend her on-base streak to 11 games.
Alea White picked up her 23rd win of the season giving up just six hits and one earned run on 117 pitches.
The Knights went down 1-0 after the Pirates put up a run in the first drawing a bases-loaded walk, but that would be the only noise from ECU for the next six innings.
UCF knotted the score, 1-1 in the bottom of the second after Emanuel double to left center scoring Kyra Klarkowski who reached on a fielder's choice just before.
The Black and Gold took the lead in the third ignited by Schappacher doubling to left field. Brewer blasted a ball off the left field wall driving in Schappacher to give the Knights the 2-1 advantage.
UCF added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth after Brooke Barlow, Megan Greenwell, and Schappacher each delivered a single to load the bases. Brewer hit a hard chopped to second who attempted the throw home, but an ECU error allowed Barlow to cross the plate for the third run.
The win moves UCF to 32-21 overall and 10-9 in the American Athletic Conference, while ECU drops to 23-19 overall and 8-11 in conference play.
ON DECK
The Knights gear up from the second game of the series on Saturday with a 12 p.m. start time.
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