ORLANDO, Fla. – In the moments after the final out of the No. 22 UCF softball team's 6-3 win over the Purdue Boilermakers at the UCF Softball Complex Saturday night, junior utility player Katie Burge mentioned the importance that embracing one's role, whatever it may be, carries when buying into the team and what it hopes to accomplish.
"I do have a lot of experience with roles," Burge said. "I had a different role freshman year than I did last year; right now I have a different role. I think understanding your role is a big part of buying into our program."
UCF throughout its first 16 games, especially during its now-four-game win streak, has received contributions from the majority of its 25-player roster playing many different roles.
Burge, after coming through with a pinch-hit triple off the bench in the team's finale against Mississippi State in Clearwater last weekend, has played her way into head coach Cindy Ball-Malone's starting lineup in the field during the last week. Sophomore Savannah Adams has also seen regular playing time over the last week and a half as the team's designated player.
Both have made the most of their recent opportunities and have played key roles in the Knights' weekend surge, and Saturday night was no different.
UCF's tilt against Purdue represented the latest chapter in Adams' breakout sophomore season, as she came through with her second two-hit game in her last three games, her third home run in her last four games, and at least one RBI in her fourth straight game.
With two runs already home in the bottom of the first inning courtesy of a Chloe Evans RBI triple down the right field line and a Shannon Doherty RBI single up the middle, Adams strode to the plate looking to keep the line moving.
She worked the count full and clubbed her fourth home run of the season to the opposite field over the right field wall, ballooning the Knights' lead to 3-0 before UCF had made three outs.
The La Mirada, California, native once again came through for her team two frames later, with a third-inning double that advanced Doherty to third base and allowed the latter to score on Burge's sacrifice fly and push UCF's lead to 4-0.
After beginning the season with hits in each of her first five games, despite receiving just 11 at-bats, Adams has only continued her hot start with more consistent time in the lineup. Beginning with the Knights' Wednesday loss at Stetson, she has gone 6-for-10 with five RBI, one double, three home runs and four runs scored in her last four games.
"I've just really been thinking, 'keep it simple' in the box," Adams said. "Really, the see-ball, hit-ball mindset. Most of the hits have been with two strikes lately, so I think with two strikes, I shorten up everything. I think that's what's been helping me."
Burge is another Knight who has played her way into the starting nine as of late, producing a two-hit evening in her Saturday showing against the Boilermakers. She doubled with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, and after plating Doherty in the third she singled to lead off the fifth.
The contest marked Burge's second multi-hit game in her last four games and has gone 6-for-9 with three RBI, three extra-base hits (two doubles and a triple) and two runs scored. The Mississippi State game represented an early turning point in Burge's season, who began the year 1-for-4 in six games.
"Even before then, I felt good. I wasn't getting the results I wanted, but I still felt good, and I think that at-bat, I got the triple and it boosted my confidence," Burge said. "Leading into this week, I haven't been trying to mimic that, I've just been trying to keep things simple and keep my mind in the right space. It's been a good confidence-booster."
Evans, meanwhile, added on to her standout beginning to her Knights career with her fourth 2-hit game of the season and her first triple in a UCF uniform. Through her first 13 games with the Knights, Evans is hitting .362 (17-for-47) with 10 extra-base hits (six doubles, 1 triple, three home runs), 13 RBI and 14 runs scored.
Doherty made a bit of history herself with her 2-RBI night, collecting the 98th and 99th of her career to surpass Jessica Ujvari (2014-16, 97) for 10th on the UCF all-time RBI list.
"It's an honor, of course. One of our sayings here is that we're always playing for the past, present and future. It's an honor to be with those names," Doherty said. "She's an awesome alum, she's one of our biggest supporters, I'm sure she's thrilled for me. It goes along with our culture and what we're about. I'm happy that I can come here and leave this place better than I found it."
UP NEXT
The Knights will conclude the 2023 Knights Classic at the UCF Softball Complex with a 1 p.m. matinee matchup with the RV Louisville Cardinals before the commencement of their play in the Judi Garmin Classic in Fullerton, California, Thursday afternoon.
