UCF Set for Louisville Slugger Invitational

LONG BEACH, Calif. – After starting their California road trip 2-0, the UCF softball team will participate in the Louisville Slugger Invitational by playing their first of five games on Friday, starting with Boston University at noon ET.
 
The Black and Gold will also play Iowa State and Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, along with Nebraska and Long Beach State on Sunday, concluding the weekend long stay in Southern California.
 
The Knights had dominating performances on Tuesday and Wednesday by defeating both Pacific and Fresno State to bring their winning streak to six. Jada Cody continued her impressive stretch as she added to her RBI total of 32 which already has her second in the country. It was also a successful homecoming for Fresno native, Gianna Mancha as she delivered six impressive innings on Wednesday while compiling eight strikeouts. 
 
Boston is coming into the tournament riding a season-high five-game win streak as they begin play against Long Beach State on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET. Hailing from the Patriot League, the Terriers are coming into the weekend with a record of 10-10 and a lifetime record of 1-1 against UCF. The team also has a .271 batting average and an overall .969 fielding percentage. 
 
Boston sophomore Kayla Roncin has taken home the last two Patriot League Player of the Week honors and leads the team with an impressive .433 batting average and 17 RBIs. Allison Boaz is the owner of 1.85 ERA and accumulated 30 strikeouts in 53.0 innings. 
 
The Knights will then take on Iowa State at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Big 12 member comes into the contest with a 12-7 record, with a 4-6 record in their last 10 games. The Cyclones are batting .302 on the year, while holding opponents to a brisk .220 batting average. They also average 6.74 runs per game which puts them at 21st in the nation.
 
Mikayla Ramos has been solid at the plate so far with an outrageous .441 batting average along with 10 homers and 29 RBI, putting her in third in the country for RBIs right behind Cody. The 10 home runs have her in the ranking as well, putting her tied for second. In the circle, Karlie Charles (2.41) and Ellie Spelhaug (2.59) both have sub-3.00 ERAs on the season with four starts each. 
 
Cal State Fullerton awaits the Knights at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Titans have a record of 14-8, going 6-4 in their last 10 games. Their .307 batting average has them 46th in the country, along with averaging 5.86 runs per game, putting them in the top 50 teams as well at 42nd. 
 
Hannah Beccerra leads the team in doubles, home runs and RBIs, along with posting a .391 batting average. Junior Myka Sutherlin has struck out 44 batters in 43.2 innings pitched, averaging 7.05 strikeouts per seven innings, along with a team-leading 2.73 ERA. The Titans also have six players with batting averages over .300 but no one has more than seven home runs, giving the team a total for 17 on the season.
 
Nebraska is the next opponent for UCF at noon on Sunday. The Big 10 program owns an 11-6 record, with a 5-2 record in their last seven games. Their .320 team batting average has them 31st in the country, while holding their opponents to a .287 batting average.
 
Billie Andrews has been a force to be reckoned with for the Huskers this season, posting a .463 in the teams' 17 games, along with her country-leading 12 home runs and 24 RBIs. Her slugging percentage of 1.130 has her ranked fourth in the country as well. Olivia Ferrell leads the team with a 2.83 ERA and an impressive 50 strikeouts in 47.0 innings pitched. 
 
The last game of the invitational features the host team, Long Beach State on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The 49ers are coming in with an 8-10 record. They most recently participated in the San Diego classic going 3-1 in the four games played. Their .297 batting average has them ranked 64th but the team has struggled pitching wise with an overall 5.57 ERA which is 248th in the country. The 49ers also have only hit a total of five home runs this year, with only four girls contributing to the total.
 
Naomi Hernandez is batting .436 along with eight RBIs and a homerun and her teammate Justine Briones has posted a .324 average with two home runs.
 
After the conclusion of this seven game California road trip, the Knights will come back home to play four games starting on Tuesday against Ohio State and then three against Furman starting on Saturday.

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