ORLANDO – Sophomore infielder Micaela Macario had a bit of time off, but Knights fans in attendance for the UCF softball team's Wednesday evening tilt against North Florida wouldn't have known.
Making her first appearance since UCF's March 17 contest against No. 2 Oklahoma State in Stillwater two weeks ago, Macario did it all in the Knights' 3-2 walk-off win over the Ospreys, headlined by her leadoff triple in the bottom of the seventh inning that would later prove to represent the game-winning run.
"Coach 'Bear' talked me through my at-bat and what my plan was," Macario recalled. "Just to be patient, be ready for my pitch when it comes."
Leading off the bottom of the seventh frame, Macario was indeed patient, working her way ahead in the count 2-0 before driving North Florida (19-12, 2-4 ASUN) right-hander Izzy Kelly's next offering just fair down the left field line, digging hard all the way to third base for her second triple of the season.
Macario would not have to wait long to find her way down the remaining 60 feet, as junior utility player Kennedy Searcy later came through with a ground ball that squeaked through Ospreys shortstop Savannah Channell, lifting UCF (20-18, 1-2 AAC) to its second walk-off win of the season.
Macario started the game as Ball-Malone's designated player but shifted to second base in the top of the third inning and recorded a putout and an assist in the field in addition to her 2-for-3 showing at the plate. In the winning effort, the reigning 2022 American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year also produced her first multi-hit game since March 11 against Kennesaw State.
"They play solid against us all the time, they're a tough team," said head coach Cindy Ball-Malone of the Ospreys. "They did a good job mixing their pitchers, but I like how we stayed calm. 'LaLa' put a runner at third for us and we got it done at the top of the lineup."
UCF's late-inning heroics saved another dominant outing by junior right-hander Grace Jewell, who in total tossed 6.1 innings of one-run ball, yielding just two hits and two walks while recording four strikeouts on 89 pitches.
Jewell came within two outs of posting her fifth complete-game shutout of the season, but was pulled in favor of fellow right-hander Sarah Willis after allowing a one-out single through the left side in the top of the seventh inning.
Willis labored through a shaky appearance uncharacteristic of what she has come to regularly produce, allowing one run, in addition to seeing her inherited baserunner score, on a pair of singles and two more walks in just two-thirds of an inning.
She still managed to limit the damage to just a soft two-run single to left field though, allowing for her offense to pick her up and deliver UCF's 20th win of the year.
"She did really well; she could have stayed in the game," Ball-Malone said of Jewell. "I just think Sarah needs to have those moments when she comes in and has the ability to do that, because we're going to face teams three times from here on out.
"Grace and Sarah complement do each other very well," Ball-Malone continued. "I want them to see that they can help each other out and get out of it without giving up any runs."
Jewell began her evening with a spotless first frame, including her first strikeout of the night, before working around a pair of Aubrey Evans fielding errors in the top of the second inning. The righty was aided by a perfect throw to home plate from center fielder Johneisha Rowe on a North Florida single to cut down an Ospreys runner attempting to score.
Jewell only grew stronger as the game progressed, retiring six of the eight hitters she faced in the third and fourth innings before spinning perfect fifth and sixth frames.
"I just came into the game [knowing] that they are aggressive hitters," Jewell said. "I just came in and [wanted to] use my defense again, they're going to get me out, and I can get them back to the dugout, and we put a few runs up on the board."
Following a Jasmine Williams sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second inning that broke the ice in the Knights' favor, junior utility player Katie Burge came through in the fourth inning with a deep drive over the North Florida center fielder playing somewhat shallow.
Burge ended up on third base, plating pinch-runner Nehanda Lewis to double UCF's lead and collecting her third triple of the season.
"I think the confidence has always been there," Ball-Malone added. "We took a couple of days off after the last weekend. They've been on the go, grinding, they've been through one of the toughest schedules out there, and I just felt like they need some time off so they can get healthy and get ready for the next conference series.
"I think you take one inning away from last weekend, and it's a completely different series. We just have to keep our eyes on that and not try to re-create or re-invent anything, because we're a good team. If we continue to hang in there and grind through, we'll be fine."
UP NEXT
The Knights bring the momentum from their Wednesday walk-off win on the road, beginning their first conference road series of the season this weekend against the ECU Pirates. First pitch from Max R. Joyner Family Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina, Friday evening is slated for 5 p.m.