ORLANDO – The UCF Softball team could not get it going Saturday afternoon in the series finale against Tulsa, falling 7-3 to leave Oklahoma having lost three of the four games in the series.
It looked to be a promising start to the afternoon for the Knights as they jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first, but pitching woes saw the Knights fall behind 3-1 in the bottom half of the inning and UCF starting pitcher Angelina DeVoe was pulled after one inning of work, giving way to Alea White. In total UCF would utilize four different pitchers in the contest in DeVoe, White, Breanna Vasquez and Gianna Mancha. The quartet combined for seven runs (six earned), allowing 10 hits while striking out just three.
The pitching changes would not slow the Hurricane offense down as Tulsa went on to pad their lead, going up 5-1 over the Knights before UCF answered back with a home run off the bat of Karissa Ornelas to make it a 5-2 ballgame.
Tulsa would go up by two more in the sixth to extend their lead to 7-2. The Knights would not give up without a fight, however, as UCF senior Jazmine Esparza doubled to drive in a run in the top of the seventh and cut the Knights' deficit to 7-3, but the rally would stop there as Tulsa closed the door and sent the Knights packing with a 7-3 loss.
The Knights will stay on the road as they head to North Carolina for a four-game series with ECU from April 9-11.
Key Moments
- Allyse Volpe walked to lead off the game for the Knights and came around to score on a Jada Cody, two-out RBI base knock, giving the Knights the 1-0 lead in the first.
- A two-run Tulsa home run in the bottom of the first gave them the 2-1 lead.
- The Hurricane padded their lead in the first with a two-out RBI single up the middle, extending their lead to 3-1.
- Two more RBI singles from Tulsa in the fifth would extend their lead to 5-1.
- UCF backstop Karissa Ornelas hit a solo home run to dead center field in the top of the sixth to cut the Knights' deficit to 5-2.
- A Tulsa double in the bottom of the sixth would extend their lead to 7-2.
- The Knights would not give up without a fight as UCF senior Jazmine Esparza doubled to drive in a run in the top of the seventh and cut the Knights' deficit to 7-3.
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