ORLANDO – Another lights out performance from UCF starting pitcher Gianna Mancha and a big fifth inning on offense guided the Knights to a 3-0 victory over FAU in Boca Raton Saturday night.
"I loved our approach," said head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. "We did hit some hard balls right at people earlier in the game, it just didn't go our way, but you keep putting pressure on teams and things end up going your way more often than not. With the routine defense that we played, the dominant pitching and the clutch hitting, it's a solid win for us."
Mancha had it all working yet again in the win, maintaining a no-hitter into the fourth inning and allowing just two hits overall in the complete game shutout. Mancha finished the night with a career-high 12 strikeouts and moves to 6-1 on the season after the win.
In her last four outings since Feb. 26, Mancha has allowed just two earned runs in 28 innings pitched while striking out 38.
"[Gianna] was in the driver's seat the entire game," said Ball-Malone. "Her ball is moving very well… It makes playing behind her very comfortable. Her work in the offseason is starting to pay off. She has had some success as of late and is really starting to believe in herself now."
After being held in check for the first half of the game, the Knights' offense finally broke through in the fifth inning. Denali Schappacher led off the inning with a walk and was driven in on a Shannon Doherty double to get UCF on the board.
Two more runs in the inning, including an inside-the-park home run and a steal of home, would give the black and gold the 3-0 lead, more than enough run support for Mancha to seal the deal.
The win moved the Knights to 15-3 on the season and 8-1 in their last nine games.
Key Moments
- Denali Schappacher led off the fifth inning with a walk and was driven in on a Shannon Doherty double down the right field line, putting UCF up 1-0.
- With runners on the corners in the same inning, Kasey Fava stole home to make it a 2-0 game.
- Kennedy Searcy hit an inside-the-park home run in the fifth to extend the Knights' lead to 3-0.
NOTABLES
- Gianna Mancha's 12 strikeouts were a career-high.
- Kennedy Searcy's home run in the fifth inning was an inside-the-park home run and her second home run overall on the season.
- All of the Knights' runs came in the fifth inning.
UP NEXT
The Knights will play their second and third games of their series against the Owls on Sunday in a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
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