ORLANDO – Boasting wins in each of its last seven games and 14 of its last 15 overall, the (RV) UCF softball team is readying for its final series of the 2023 regular season this weekend, when the squad will visit the host Memphis Tigers May 5-7.
The Knights (33-19, 12-3 AAC) most recently put the finishing touches on a three-game sweep of the Houston Cougars to conclude their 2023 home slate, marking the team's third three-game series sweep of the season. The weekend set also pushed UCF's final home record to a dominant 23-6, marking the second consecutive season the Knights finished at least 17 games north of .500 on their home turf after producing a 29-5 home record a year ago. UCF enters the weekend series with an RPI ranking of 31 as of Monday, May 1, as well, accompanied by seven RPI top 50 wins.
Significant storylines were plentiful throughout UCF's final home series, headlined by right-hander Sarah Willis' Friday evening perfect game in the series-opener, marking the third perfect game in program history and the first of seven innings.
Willis followed her spotless Friday performance with a two-hit shutout Sunday afternoon, capping her weekend with a perfect 0.00 ERA in 14 innings, accompanied by an .047 batting average-against and seven strikeouts. The Ontario, California, native was honored with American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for her efforts during the series as well, marking the second such award she has won this season, and she also became the third Knights pitcher in program history to be named national Division I Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week.
Fellow right-handed pitcher Grace Jewell also produced a strong Saturday outing in between Willis' two starts, throwing a seven-inning complete game during which she allowed only two runs on five hits. The outing represented the sixth time Jewell has gone the distance this season, trailing only Willis' seven complete games for the team lead.
The duo has represented two of the more consistent arms in The American this season, as both Jewell and Willis bring a season batting average-against of .182 into the weekend set. The mark represents the lowest in the conference, and the two are also the lone pair with a batting average-against below .200 in The American.
Willis also can stake her claim to a conference ERA of just .067 (52 IP, 5 ER), by far the best mark of any pitcher in the AAC, while Jewell's 2.65 ERA (39.2 IP, 15 ER) in conference play ranks fifth-best.
In the circle overall, the Knights have yielded two runs or fewer in 14 of their last 15 games, a stretch during which the team has produced a 1.18 ERA (100.2 IP, 17 ER) with a 65:33 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a .159 batting average-against. Willis' two shutouts this weekend pushed the Knights' season total to 12, holding down the top spot in The American and ranking 23rd in the nation.
Offensively, left fielder Kennedy Searcy paced the Knights with a .636/.636/.727 line (7-for-11) throughout the Knights' last three games, adding one double, four RBI and eight total bases to earn a selection to The American's weekly Honor Roll for the first time this season.
The Jacksonville, Florida, native recorded back-to-back three-hit games Friday and Saturday before going 1-for-4 with two RBI in Sunday's finale, extending her hit streak to eight straight games and producing two RBI in three of her last five games.
Right fielder Chloe Evans strengthened her hit streak to 12 straight games with her first-inning RBI triple, marking her seventh of the season to move into a tie for second place on the all-time UCF single-season triples list, one shy of tying Tiffany Lane's eight for the most in a single season.
Freshman utility infielder Aubrey Evans also swatted her 15th double of the season just moments before Chloe Evans' run-scoring triple, and the Apopka, Florida, native now needs just one more two-bagger to move into a tie for the most in a single season in program history.
The Memphis Tigers, meanwhile, bring with them an 8-39 season record entering the weekend's action, including a 2-13 mark within The American. The team most recently suffered a three-game series sweep at the hands of the South Florida Bulls last weekend and has lost each of its last five games overall.
In 50 all-time meetings between the two schools, UCF owns a 34-16 edge following a three-game sweep of the Tigers last season. The Knights tossed three consecutive shutouts and outscored Memphis 18-0 in the three contests April 8-10, 2022, while allowing only eight total hits in the series.
Center fielder Johneisha Rowe (.556, 5-for-9) and utility players Kennedy Searcy (.556, 5-for-9) and Jada Cody (.500, 5-for-10) starred for the Knights offensively against the Tigers last season, combining for six RBI and 17 total bases. Right-hander Kaitlyn Felton was also singlehandedly responsible for one of UCF's shutouts, spinning a six-inning gem in the series finale while allowing only two hits and two walks.
Sixth-year utility player Kendall Lee represents Memphis' offensive leader through 48 games, owning a .304/.367/.435 (35-for-115) line with 11 extra-base hits, 14 RBI and 50 total bases.
First pitch from Tigers Softball Complex is set for 7 p.m. ET for the series-opener, followed by 3 p.m. and 1 p.m. scheduled start times Saturday and Sunday.
