Softball Readying for Midweek Matchup with HattersSoftball Readying for Midweek Matchup with Hatters

Softball Readying for Midweek Matchup with Hatters

by Ryan Ladika

ORLANDO – With the commencement of the UCF softball team’s inaugural Big 12 slate on the horizon, the squad is set for one final tune-up before it meets its new conference-mates for the first time, welcoming the Stetson Hatters to Orlando for a Wednesday evening home matchup.

UCF (11-7) enters its midweek tilt against Stetson (7-13) fresh off a 3-1 showing in the squad’s Knights Classic Tournament hosted at the UCF Softball Complex March 1-3, topping Kennesaw State, 4-1, and Princeton in a pair of run-rule decisions while also dropping a slim 4-2 contest to the then-No. 22 South Carolina Gamecocks.

Right-hander Kaitlyn Felton starred in the circle throughout the weekend’s action for the Black and Gold, tossing four innings of three-hit ball in UCF’s 10-2 five-inning win over Princeton March 1 before throwing her third career seven-inning complete game against Kennesaw State March 3.

In stifling the Owls, Felton recorded her second career start with at least seven innings and two or fewer hits allowed, and the junior compiled a 1.91 ERA and a .193 batting average-against in 11 innings of work throughout the weekend, all three marks representing staff-bests in the tournament.

Felton’s two weekend starts represented two more steps forward as she continues to solidify herself within head coach Cindy Ball-Malone’s pitching rotation. After posting a 3.80 ERA in 77.1 innings of work a season ago, the righty has pared her 2024 mark down to 2.65 through her first seven appearances (six starts) spanning 31.2 frames, accompanied by 21 strikeouts and a .264 batting average-against.

Fellow right-hander Sarah Willis shouldered 10 of the team’s remaining 13 innings pitched throughout the weekend’s action, recording a team-high seven strikeouts in her two starts against the Gamecocks and Tigers.

Offensively, freshman infielder Sierra Humphreys led the charge for UCF, going a perfect 5-for-5 in her two starts along with three runs scored, two extra-base hits, six RBI, 10 total bases and four stolen bags.

Against Princeton March 2, Humphreys swatted her first collegiate home run and triple, representing her first career multi-extra-base hit game, while driving in a season-high five runs. She also recorded back-to-back games with two stolen bases, aiding the Knights in holding on to their Big 12-leading team total of 41, a mark that also ranks 14th in the nation.

Utility player Jada Cody and right fielder Chloe Evans also enjoyed standout weekends at the plate, hitting .545 (6-for-11) and .455 (5-for-11), respectively, with a combined seven runs scored, two doubles, one triple, six RBI and 15 total bases.

Cody continued her climb through the ranks of the Knights’ all-time record leaders with her 10th career triple and 228th career hit against Princeton March 2, claiming a share of fourth place on the UCF all-time triples list and sole possession of fifth place on the all-time hits list, coincidentally passing former Knights outfielder Denali Schappacher (2018-22) on both lists.

In Stetson, UCF faces a squad that has won seven of its first 20 contests this spring and is coming off a 1-3 showing in the Tennessee Classic. In Knoxville over the weekend, the Hatters faced off against Brown, Longwood and the then-No. 8 Tennessee Lady Vols, earning their win against Brown by a 6-1 final score March 3.

Stetson gave the Lady Vols a scare in their tournament finale following their five-run win, falling by a slim 3-2 decision after erasing a 2-0 deficit on the strength of an Annabella McClerren two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning.

The Knights own a 20-9 record in 29 all-time meetings with the Hatters, including wins in 12 of the last 16 matchups, though Stetson prevailed in the teams’ 2023 meeting by a 4-3 final score in DeLand Feb. 22. Felton started that contest and struck out seven in 6.1 innings before the Hatters rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Junior utility player Kami Eppley (.321, 18-for-56) and freshman outfielder Madelyn Synoracki (.320, 16-for-50) enter the matchup as the Hatters’ leading hitters, with the former boasting team-best marks in extra-base hits (5), RBI (12), total bases (27) and slugging percentage (.482).

In the circle, sophomore right-hander Hannah Marien has served as Stetson’s most consistent arm, posting a 2.90 ERA (26 earned runs) in a team-leading 62.2 innings of work.

The Longwood, Florida, native has recorded a team-high 37 strikeouts and a team-low .241 batting average-against, and in her last start threw all six innings in Stetson’s one-run loss to Tennessee, limiting a Lady Vols offense that averages over six runs per game this season to three.

First pitch for the Knights’ Wednesday tilt against Stetson is scheduled for 6 p.m. from the UCF Softball Complex, and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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