ORLANDO – Riding a season-long-tying five-game win streak, the UCF softball team is set to conclude its six-game homestand with a midweek matchup against the visiting Jacksonville Dolphins Wednesday, April 10, before hitting the road once more for a weekend three-game stretch against the Houston Cougars.
The program will also celebrate its second Autism Awareness and Acceptance game during the midweek tilt, throughout which the team will offer a handful of activities in which fans may participate, a fidget cube giveaway, and specially made uniform elements that will be worn by the Knights before and during the game in honor of the contest’s theme.
UCF looks to conclude a perfect homestand with its sixth straight win Wednesday, as the team has emerged victorious in each of its previous five games over the last week, and seven of its last eight overall.
After taking two of three on the road against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the Knights returned home with a doubleheader sweep of the North Florida Ospreys April 2 before taking all three from the BYU Cougars April 4-6 and clinching the first Big 12 Conference series sweep in program history, as well as their third conference series win of the season.
UCF’s offensive corps enjoyed a strong week throughout all five games, outscoring the Ospreys and Cougars by an aggregate 37-14 throughout its five-game win streak.
Among players who started at least four games and recorded at least 10 at-bats, first baseman Shannon Doherty and utility player Jada Cody paced UCF’s offense, hitting for respective .500/.615/.500 (5-for-10) and .467/.500/.933 (7-for-15) lines while combining for seven runs scored and 19 total bases.
Cody’s four extra-base hits (two doubles, one triple one home run) in her five games led her squad, and with her two-run double in the sixth inning of the Black and Gold’s 9-4 win over BYU Friday night, moved into a tie for first place with Jania Shinhoster on the UCF all-time career doubles list with the 50th of her career. The next double Cody hits will crown the fifth-year utility player the program’s all-time career doubles leader.
Chloe Evans and Stormy Kotzelnick both enjoyed prolific performances at the plate throughout the last week as well, with the duo joining Cody as the other two Knights to record seven hits. Kotzelnick paced the team with three doubles and sparked UCF’s second eight-inning walk-off win of the season with a leadoff double in the extra frame Saturday afternoon, setting the table for Aubrey Evans’ first collegiate walk-off hit to clinch the series sweep one pitch later.
Sarah Willis and Katelyn Cochran led the Black and Gold’s efforts in the circle, meanwhile, posting respective 1.37 and 0.91 ERAs in a combined 23 innings of work. Against BYU Thursday evening, Willis notched her fourth appearance as a Knight consisting of at least seven innings pitched and three or fewer hits allowed in her fourth complete game of the season.
Cochran starred in stifling the Ospreys in the nightcap of the teams’ doubleheader as well, recording her first collegiate win in a five-inning one-hit complete game shutout that was sealed by designated player Sona Halajian’s game-ending grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning, representing the Knights’ first grand slam since Kennedy Searcy’s go-ahead eighth-inning grand slam at Houston April 22, 2022.
When it welcomes the Dolphins to Orlando, UCF will meet a red-hot Jacksonville squad riding a seven-game win streak and an 8-4 record in AUSN play. The Dolphins’ spring season has been highlighted by a 6-5 win over then-No. 12 Florida State in Tallahassee March 3, an upset during which Jacksonville scored all six of its runs in the bottom of the first inning and staved off a late Seminoles comeback bid.
The Knights lead the all-time series against Jacksonville 15-2 in the teams’ previous 17 meetings, and the two programs will clash for the first time since UCF earned a 3-2 win at home April 3, 2019.
Against Houston, the Knights own a lifetime 32-22 record, including a four-game win streak and victories in 11 of the teams’ last 13 meetings. The Cougars are off to a 22-17 start to the 2024 season, including a 3-12 mark in Big 12 Conference play.
One of Houston’s three conference wins thus far, though, came against the then-No. 2 Texas Longhorns by a 12-10 final score at home, led by an eight-run fourth inning and a 2-for-4, five-RBI showing by graduate student infielder Jazmyn Rollin.
The Knights’ three-game series against Houston April 28-30, 2023 represented one of UCF’s more dominant conference series last season, as the Black and Gold swept the Cougars in three games and outscored their opponents by an aggregate 19-2.
Sarah Willis garnered National Division I Wilson/NFCA and D1Softball.com Pitcher of the Week honors, as well as American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors, for her efforts throughout the weekend, when she threw two seven-inning complete game shutouts, including the first seven-inning perfect game, and third overall perfect game, in program history. The right-hander yielded only two hits in 14 innings of work, striking out seven.
First pitch for Wednesday’s contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. from the UCF Softball Complex, and start times for the weekend series in Houston are slated for 7 p.m. ET Friday, 3 p.m. ET Saturday and 1 p.m. ET Sunday. All games will be streamed live on Big 12 Now on 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.