OXFORD, Miss. – Things didn't quite work out the way the Knights had envisioned they would when they took off for Oxford over the weekend as UCF dropped both games of a doubleheader with the Rebels on Saturday at the Ole Miss Softball Complex to leave for home winless on the weekend.
Despite jumping out to a four-run lead in game one, UCF could not hold on, falling 5-4 to Ole Miss in 10 innings before struggling in game two, ending the series on a 10-0 defeat.
Next up, the Knights will return home for their final regular season series of the season. UCF will welcome rival South Florida to town for an AAC showdown of four games in three days at the UCF Softball Complex.
GAME ONE – UCF 4 // Ole Miss 5
The Knights jumped out to an early lead in game one, scoring four runs in the first two innings, but they couldn't hold on. The Knights allowed Ole Miss to score five unanswered runs, including a walk-off RBI base hit in the bottom of the 10th inning, to fall 5-4.
Knights' starting pitcher Alea White was in the circle for all 9.1 innings for UCF. White allowed just two earned runs while holding the Rebels' lineup to less than a hit per inning. With the loss, she moves to 17-5 on the season.
A week after earning conference player of the week honors, UCF leadoff hitter Jada Cody was 3-for-5 with a walk and a run scored. Meanwhile, Kaitlyn Jensen and Kyra Klarkowski also turned in multi-hit performances with two hits each. Jensen also added two RBI and a run scored.
The extra inning game marked the sixth of the season for the Knights. The loss marked UCF's first in extra innings this year.
Key Moments
- Jazmine Esparza opened up the scoring for UCF with a sacrifice-fly in the top of the first, driving in Juliana Wilson and putting the Knights up 1-0.
- The Knights tacked onto their lead in the top of the third as Kaitlyn Jensen doubled to drive in a pair and put UCF up 3-0.
- Jensen came around to score on a Shannon Doherty RBI single later in the inning, moving the Knights' lead to 4-0.
- Ole Miss struck back in the bottom of the second, scoring a run on an RBI single and taking advantage of a UCF error to cut their deficit to 4-2.
- The Rebels scored two more in the bottom of the fourth, taking advantage of another Knights' error to tie the game at four apiece.
- After five scoreless innings, the Rebels scored to go up 5-4 and walk it off in the bottom of the 10th.
GAME TWO – UCF 0 // Ole Miss 10
Not much would break the Knight's way in game two as UCF was held to just two hits and no runs, falling 10-0 to the Rebels in five innings.
Knights' starting pitcher Gianna Mancha allowed seven runs (six earned) in the second inning before being pulled for Angelina DeVoe, who didn't fare much better against the potetnt Ole Miss lineup. She allowed two earned in 1.2 innings of work and was relieved in the fourth inning by Breanna Vasquez, who allowed an earned run as well in 1.0 frames. The trio of UCF pitchers allowed 10 combined runs on nine hits to the Rebels in game two. With the loss, Mancha falls to 12-5 on the season.
Not much was working in the way of offense for UCF as Ole Miss starter Savannah Diederich allowed just one hit in four innings of work, striking out four and not allowing any runs. With the win, she moves to 12-8.
Following the weekend sweep, UCF moves to 34-15-1 on the year.
Key Moments
- With the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, UCF starting pitcher Gianna Mancha walked in a run to give Ole Miss the 1-0 lead.
- The next batter reached out a fielder's choice, but not before another Rebels run would score, giving them a 2-0 lead.
- A wild pitch later in the inning would allow another Ole Miss run to score, putting them up 3-0.
- Still in the second, an Ole Miss RBI single would drive in two more, extending their lead to 5-0.
- A double later in the inning would drive in another Ole Miss run, moving them to 6-0.
- The Rebels would score their seventh run of the inning on a groundout, putting them up 7-0 in just the second inning.
- With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, UCF reliever Breanna Vasquez walked in a run to put Ole Miss up 8-0.
- A single later in the inning would drive in two more, moving Ole Miss's lead to 10-0.
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