ORLANDO – Following its first road trip of the season, the UCF softball team returns home to host its second and final tournament of the season and begin a nine-game homestand. The team will welcome Princeton, No. 22 South Carolina, Kennesaw State and Bethune-Cookman to the Knights Classic March 1-3 at the UCF Softball Complex.
Despite starting the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with three losses to ranked opponents, UCF won two of its last three contests to wrap up the California roadtrip. The victories were highlighted by the efforts of redshirt-senior right-hander Sona Halajian, who recorded her first win as a Knight going six innings and yielding just two runs against Oregon State Feb. 23, as well as earning her second multi-hit game in her previous three contests.
Sarah Willis also completed her first complete game of the season in the Knights’ loss to No. 8 Missouri Feb. 23, where she recorded a season-high eight strikeouts and went 2-for-3 at the plate.
The Knights’ pitching staff has led the charge in the first three weeks of the season, spearheaded by the efforts of Willis and junior right-hander Kaitlyn Felton.
In an aggregate 48.1 innings of work, Felton and Willis have combined for a 2.46 ERA and 49 strikeouts. Senior southpaw Angelina DeVoe has also been a standout in the circle, as her 2.28 hits allowed per seven innings pitched represents the fewest in NCAA Division I softball. DeVoe also boasts a .102 batting average-against (5-for-49) and has yielded one hit or fewer in seven of her first eight appearances this spring.
The Black and Gold will begin play in the tournament with a doubleheader scheduled against Princeton and No. 22 South Carolina Friday, March 1. The team enters its matchup with the Tigers with an overall 5-1 edge and winning the last meeting between the two teams in 2019. Princeton, the reigning 2023 Ivy League Champion, brings a 4-0 record through its first four games into the weekend tournament.
South Carolina, which represents the Knights’ lone ranked opponent of the weekend, is no stranger to the Knights. UCF last squared off against the Gamecocks during the 2023 NCAA Tallahassee Regional, topping South Carolina 6-1 in its postseason opener before the Gamecocks eliminated the Knights the next day.
Previously South Carolina made the trip during the 2022 season to Orlando March 4-5, when the teams split a two-game series. The Knights’ 5-4 win in the series featured a walk-off RBI single from Ashleigh Griffin that broke a 4-4 stalemate. The Gamecocks boast a 14-2 record thus far, including a top-15 win against then-No. 13 Utah in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Feb. 15.
UCF will then play Princeton once more at 5:30 p.m. before concluding tournament play with another twin-bill against Kennesaw State and Bethune-Cookman at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Kennesaw State, which makes an appearance in Orlando for the second straight season, has lost four out of its last five matchups with the Knights, including two run-rule contests March 11-12, 2023. Aubrey Evans recorded career-highs in both doubles and RBI, with three and five, respectively, during the first game of the two-game series last season against the Owls, along with Sarah Willis pitching a one-hitter through five innings in game two.
Bethune-Cookman is the final opponent that UCF will face in the Knights Classic. Historically, the Black and Gold has had the competitive edge on the Wildcats with an all-time record of 24-5, including nine straight dating back to Feb. 11, 2012.
The weekend tournament kicks off a nine-game homestand for the Knights after the squad played its last eight on the road in Clearwater, Florida, and Cathedral City, California.
COMPLETE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
March 1
Bethune Cookman vs. Princeton – 10 a.m. | Live Stats
No. 22 South Carolina vs. Kennesaw State – 12:30 p.m. | Live Stats
Princeton vs. UCF – 3:30 p.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
No. 22 South Carolina vs. UCF – 6 p.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
March 2
Kennesaw State vs. Bethune-Cookman – 10 a.m. | Live Stats
Kennesaw State vs. Princeton – 12:30 p.m. | Live Stats
Bethune-Cookman vs. No. 22 South Carolina – 3 p.m. | Live Stats
Princeton vs. UCF – 5:30 p.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
March 3
Princeton vs. No. 22 South Carolina – 9 a.m. | Live Stats
Kennesaw State vs. UCF – 11 a.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
Bethune-Cookman vs. UCF – 1 p.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF softball on X (@UCF_Softball), Instagram (@UCF.Softball) and Facebook (/UCFSoftball).
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite teams by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android devices. The app provides personalized information for men’s and women’s teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and breaking news. Click here to download the app now.