#16 UCF Wins Orlando Regional Opener 6-0 Over Villanova#16 UCF Wins Orlando Regional Opener 6-0 Over Villanova

#16 UCF Wins Orlando Regional Opener 6-0 Over Villanova

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ORLANDO, Fla. – The No. 16 UCF softball team made history on Friday as they were victorious in their opening game of the NCAA Orlando Regional, beating Villanova by a score of 6-0 and setting multiple program bests in a single NCAA Tournament game. Jada Cody led the way offensively for the Knights, hitting two home runs and driving in five in the victory.

"They lead and we follow," said head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. "We always feel confident with Gianna in the circle and Jada just made a statement early in the game. I felt like we just took a deep breath and played at The Plex like we normally do. It was great – awesome fans and I loved being in that moment."

The Knights got going early, as Allyse Volpe and Kennedy Searcy both reached on singles. Cody stepped in next and launched a three-run homer to left center field for her 13th blast of the season. UCF wasn't finished hitting though as Shannon Doherty reached on an infield single followed by Ashleigh Griffin legging out a bunt single. After the first five Knights reached base, the inning came to an end with two fielder's choices and a foul out.

Cody did it again in her next at bat in the bottom of the second, smashing a line drive over the left field fence just inside the pole, putting UCF up 5-0. She is the first Knight to homer twice in an NCAA Tournament game. As a team, UCF had only ever homered twice in a game once before, coming all the way back on May 21, 2005.

The two blasts bring Cody to 14 this season and 24 in her career. She is now all alone in third place on UCF's career home runs list. As for this campaign, she stands alone in fourth place, behind Stephanie Best who owns the top three spots with 26, 18 and 16 home runs in a single season. Cody collected five RBI on the day, which is the third time she's done that this season and the fourth in her career. That tied the Knights' single-NCAA Tournament game record, set by Hillary Barrow back in 2010. She now sits with 74 RBI on the year as she continues to set the single season record at UCF.

The Black and Gold climbed back on the board in the fourth inning as Searcy smashed a ball into the left-centerfield gap, scoring Volpe all the way from first. Searcy finished the day going two-for-four while Volpe finished the afternoon going three-for-four with three runs scored. The three runs scored puts Volpe in the record book for most runs scored by a UCF player in an NCAA Tournament game.

The Knights set a new program record for hits in an NCAA Tournament game, collecting 14 on the afternoon; that tops the previous best of 13 vs. Stetson on May 17, 2014.

Gianna Mancha was outstanding in the circle for the Black and Gold, as she set a program-best mark as well. Her nine strikeouts will go down in the history books as the most in an NCAA Tournament game by a Knight and was one shy of tying a season high. She recorded her 15th complete game of the season and her eighth solo shutout as she improved her record to 22-3 this season. Her ERA now sits at 1.63 while holding batters to a .161 average at the plate.

UCF improves to 47-12 on the season with the victory. They are now 6-3 all-time against Villanova, with the Knights winning the previous three meetings.

UP NEXT
The Knights will face No. 24 Michigan on Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN2 with the winner advancing to the final of the Orlando regional to be played on Sunday. The loser of said game will play the winner of the South Dakota State and Villanova game at 4 p.m.

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