#24 UCF vs. FIU |
ORLANDO – Hot off a shutout over No. 2 Arizona, the No. 24 ranked UCF softball team will look to keep it going Thursday afternoon as the Knights invite FIU to town for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch at the UCF Softball Complex in Orlando, Fla.
The game will be broadcasted live on ESPN+.
THE PANTHERS
After winning their first three games of the season, the Panthers have lost 10 of their last twelve to move to 5-10 on the season.
The Panthers are currently on their final game of a 13-game road trip. FIU is coming off a weekend that saw them drop three games at the FAU Invitational, including two to Illinois State and one to Pittsburgh.
UCF is 7-5 all-time against FIU, with the Knights' last wins coming in back-to-back victories on neutral ground in February 2020.
KNIGHT BITES
SILENCE NUMBER TWO!
The Knights took down No. 2 Arizona, 2-0 at the UCF Softball Complex on Monday behind Gianna Mancha, who allowed just three hits to the typically potent Wildcats lineup, shutting them out for the first time in 646 days (June 1, 2019 vs then No. 5 Alabama in the Women's College World Series). She allowesd just five baserunners in seven innings and her nine strikeouts were the most against an Arizona offense that had been averaging nine runs per game this season. The win snapped Arizona's 23-game winning streak, which had been the longest in the country heading into Monday afternoon's matchup. It also marked the Knights' first win over a ranked opponent this season and it was UCF's first win over a top five opponent since the Knights beat then No. 4 Florida, 1-0, at home on April 4, 2018.
MY MY, MANCHA!
UCF senior pitcher Gianna Mancha was named American Pitcher of the Week on March 8 after spinning seven full innings of three-hit ball for UCF to take the victory over Kennesaw State on March 6 in Orlando. She allowed one earned run and issued one walk, striking out seven batters on 90 pitches. Mancha prevented all but one Kennesaw State base runner from advancing past second base during the game. After receiving pitcher of the week, Mancha then tossed a three-hit shutout with two walks and nine strikeouts in a 2-0 win against No. 2/3 Arizona on March 8.
THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER
Australia native and UCF senior Georgia Blair has been on an absolute tear to begin the season. Heading into Thursday's game against FIU, Blair is slashing .477/.574/.955 with six home runs, 19 RBI and 42 total bases. She has accounted for 24 percent of the UCF offense to begin the season. In 2020, Blair became the fastest Knight to ever get to six home runs, needing just 15 games to do so. This year, she did it in eight games. Blair has safely reached base at least one time in all 16 of the Knights game this season.
A NEW ALL-TIME WINS LEADER
UCF Softball has a new all-time wins leader in Alea White. White secured career win No. 81 in the series finale over New Mexico State, passing Shelby Turnier as the winningest pitcher in program history. On the mound, White was lights out in her record-setting performance. She was perfect through four and threw a complete game, allowing no earned runs on just four hits while striking out eight.
TICKETING/COVID-19 PROTOCOLS
Capacity for The UCF Softball Complex this season is roughly twenty-five percent of full capacity.
A very limited number of single-game tickets will be made available 24-48 hours prior to each home game. Single game ticket inventory will come from unclaimed visiting team and player guest ticket allotments and will vary by game.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets are encouraged to check their UCF Account Manager page HERE leading up to each home game for ticket availability.
All tickets will be $10 general admission seats. There will be NO walk-up tickets available day of game as it is online purchase only.
Fans will be required to wear face coverings at all times, except while actively eating or drinking. Other safety measures in place for the 2021 season include:
- Hand sanitizer stations will be located throughout the concourse
- Bathrooms and other common touch points will be cleaned and sanitized regularly
- COVID-19 signage encouraging best practices will be located throughout the facility
- Certain seating will be blocked off to encourage physical distancing
For the latest information on ticketing for 2021 UCF Softball home events, contact the ticket office at (407) 823-1000, or follow us on social at UCF Softball on Facebook (/UCFSoftball), Twitter (@UCF_Softball) and Instagram (@UCF.Softball).
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Stay tuned to UCF Softball on Facebook (/UCFSoftball), Twitter (@UCF_Softball) and Instagram (@UCF.Softball) for the latest on the UCF Softball team.
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