ORLANDO – They were not without their chances, but the timely hit proved elusive for the (RV) UCF softball team in the second game of their conference play-opening series against No. 22 Wichita State Saturday afternoon.
Donning their Canaveral blue "SpaceU" Citronaut uniforms for the second time this season, the Knights offense failed to ignite in their 6-0 loss to the Shockers in front of 1,082 fans at the UCF Softball Complex, marking the seventh-largest announced crowd in program history. The defeat sets up a Sunday morning rubber match to decide the first series of American Athletic Conference play.
The UCF (19-17, 1-1 AAC) offensive corps managed 11 baserunners throughout the afternoon, including seven hits and a trio of walks, but Shockers (25-7, 1-1 AAC) starter Lauren Howell tightroped her way out of danger each time the 'Nauts managed a late-inning rally.
UCF's best offensive chance came in the bottom of the sixth inning, when center fielder Johneisha Rowe followed consecutive one-out singles by Kennedy Searcy and Katie Burge with a single to left field of her own to load the bases with two outs.
A Jasmine Williams pop out to third base dashed the Citronauts' scoring hopes, though, and six runs allowed by the duo of right-hander Grace Jewell and southpaw Angelina DeVoe proved too much to overcome.
In the loss, Burge, who started as the team's designated player before shifting to second base, recorded her third multi-hit game of the season and her first since the Knights' 6-3 win over Purdue Feb. 25. The Miami, Florida, native notched UCF's first hit of the afternoon with a fourth-inning single up the middle before shooting a well-placed grounder through the left side in the sixth.
Left fielder-turned-third baseman Kennedy Searcy also continued her strong season on the basepaths, swiping her eighth base in as many tries to remain perfect on the year in the category. Six of her eight stolen bases have come in her last 13 games, and she pushed her career success rate up to 89 percent (31-for-35) as well.
UP NEXT
The Knights will take another crack at winning the weekend set against the 22nd-ranked Shockers in the series finale Sunday morning, with first pitch slated for 11 a.m. from the UCF Softball Complex.