GREENVILLE, N.C. – The No. 17 UCF softball team advanced to the American Athletic Conference Championship final thanks to a walk-off home run from Savannah Adams, lifting the Knights over Houston by a score of 4-2 in eight innings.
"I felt like Sav has had some really good at bats in her last couple AB's," said head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. "That type of pitcher was kind of her strength and so I felt like the timing with runners on I wanted her to get an opportunity later in the game and it worked out."
The scoring didn't get going until the bottom of the third inning where the RBI queen herself, Jada Cody smashed one just inside the left field line with two out, driving in Micaela Macario, who led off the inning with a walk. The RBI brought Cody to 65 RBI on the year and put UCF in front 1-0. Cody's knock extended her hitting streak to nine games, her longest of the 2022 campaign.
Weather rolled through the Greenville area at the conclusion of the third inning, causing an hour and 49-minute rain delay. The game picked up in the top of the fourth inning.
UCF plated another run shortly after play resumed, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Cody struck again, connecting on one that was sent straight back at the pitcher, bouncing off her thigh and going awry into left-center field. Kennedy Searcy, who was able to climb aboard with a two-out double to right-center field, wheeled all the way around to score on the play. With the hit, Cody ties Stephanie Best's single-season RBI record at 66, which Best set nearly 20 years ago in 2003.
Houston tied the game in the following half inning as Bethany Busch hit a two-run homer with two outs in the sixth.
The Knights headed to extra innings for the sixth time this season. Gianna Mancha remained in the game for her eighth inning of work and allowed just one hit in the top of the eight, stranding Houston's go-ahead runner at second base. Mancha's eight innings of work ties a season and career high, with the last occurrence coming in UCF's eight inning win at Houston on Apr. 22 this season. She earned nine strikeouts in the contest, walking four and allowing just three hits, with the one homer the only blemish on an impressive day in the circle.
"Minus one pitch, Gianna was pretty unhittable today," said Ball-Malone. "The defense played well behind her. When she's on fire like that it keeps us in the game and keeps us comfortable and relaxed."
Ashleigh Griffin reached with a single through the left side to begin the home half of the eight and was lifted in favor of a pinch runner in Katie Burge. Denali Schappacher stepped up to the plate next and grounded into a fielder's choice, erasing Burge but reaching first safely on the play. Adams strode to the plate in a pinch-hit situation. The rookie picked a great time to launch her first career home run, as she took an 0-2 pitch to deep left and over the wall to seal the victory for the Knights.
Adams' blast was the fifth walk-off of the season for the Black and Gold. They started the season with an eighth inning walk-off homer over No. 12 Georgia, followed by another walk-off homer over Ole Miss 15 days later. The Knights added walk-offs over South Carolina and No. 5 Virginia Tech in March and April respectively and have now hit one in May as well.
Mancha went on to win her 21st game of the season, just the 13th time that has ever happened in program history. She becomes the 8th pitcher in UCF history to reach the 21-win mark and is now tied with Shelby Turnier (2016) and Mackenzie Audas (2012) for 11th on UCF's single-season victories list.
The victory sends UCF to their third American Championship game and first since 2015. The Knights will be going for their fourth conference tournament championship to go alongside their 2005, 2008 and 2015 titles.
Friday's victory improves the Knights to 6-0 in extra innings, outscoring their opponents 14-1 in additional frames.
The Knights are now 29-22 all-time against Houston, but Friday's contest was the first time the two squads have faced off in the tournament.
UP NEXT
UCF will face South Florida in the championship game tomorrow, which has been moved up from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and will be aired on ESPN2. The Knights swept the Bulls earlier this season on the road to start conference play in late March. This is the first time that The American tournament title will come down to a War On I-4 matchup.
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