MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The No. 25 ranked UCF softball team completed the road sweep over Memphis on Sunday at Tigers Softball Complex as UCF starting pitcher Gianna Mancha held the Tigers hitless into the seventh inning before closing the door on a 3-1 Knights victory.
The Tigers broke up Mancha's no-hitter with a solo home run to lead off the top of the seventh, but Mancha would not be shaken. After allowing a single, she went on to record the next three outs in order, including a strikeout to end the game. In total, Mancha had 10 strikeouts on the day and before the home run, she had not allowed a hit in her last 12 innings pitched as she no-hit the Tigers in Friday night's 8-0 victory.
With the win, Mancha moves to 12-4 on the year.
"I thought we closed out the series nicely today. Gianna had another great performance, and we played some nice lockdown defense at the end of the game," said head coach Cindy Ball-Malone.
"Gianna's ball was moving again today like it was in the beginning of the year. I think she's feeling fresh and feeling good. All her pitches are working, and it looks like she is enjoying herself and having fun."
The Knights scored two quick runs courtesy of a Jada Cody two-run home run in the top of the first. Cody was 5-for-12 over the weekend with three long balls. She drove in five RBI and scored six runs.
A Katie Burge RBI knock in the sixth would pad the Knights' lead to 3-0 and Mancha would take care of the rest from there.
"It's good for us to get this momentum within conference," said Ball-Malone. "It's great for us to be playing at our best at the end of the year."
With the win, UCF moves to 34-12-1, 13-6-1. The Knights will next head to Oxford, Mississippi for a three-game series against Ole Miss from April 30 - May 2.
Key Moments
- Jada Cody hit a two-run home run in the top of the first to give UCF the early 2-0 lead.
- Katie Burge hit an RBI single to shortstop in the top of the sixth to move the Knights' lead to 3-0 over Memphis.
- The Tigers led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run, their first hit of the ballgame, to break up UCF starting pitcher Gianna Mancha's no-hitter and cut their deficit to 3-1.
NOTABLE
- Jada Cody's home run in the first marked the 52nd of the year for the Knights, a new single-season record.
- Cody's home run was her seventh of the season.
- Before allowing the home run in the seventh, Mancha had not allowed a hit in her last 13 innings pitched. She had 23 strikeouts in 13 innings against Memphis on the weekend.
- Schappacher scored a run in the win, the 99th of her career, moving her to 9th all-time at UCF.
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