Elkins Dazzles in UCF Debut, Softball Tops Illinois, 2-1Elkins Dazzles in UCF Debut, Softball Tops Illinois, 2-1

Elkins Dazzles in UCF Debut, Softball Tops Illinois, 2-1

by Ryan Ladika
Box Score

ORLANDO – As far as an introduction to her new team, program and fanbase goes, Lena Elkins more than delivered.

Receiving the nod from head coach Cindy Ball-Malone for the first time in the squad’s fourth game this spring, the transfer right-hander dazzled in leading the Black and Gold to their third win of the young season.

“She had command of both sides of the plate, doing a really good job with her offspeed, and being able to manage the up and down (pitches) too. With all of those things working, I felt like we had a lot of good options.”

Cindy Ball-Maloneon Lena Elkins

Elkins danced out of danger throughout the evening, stranding 10 runners on base en route to spinning UCF’s first seven-inning complete game of the season in the team’s 2-1 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini at the UCF Softball Complex Saturday evening.

The effort marked the third seven-inning complete game of her two-plus-year career, as well as her first against a power four opponent after she also went the distance in both of her previous two career no-hitters against Canisius (Feb. 17, 2024) and St. John’s (Feb. 17, 2023).

“I was trying to stay ahead in the count, stayed in it even though I had a few walks. I trusted my changeup more; I struggled with it in the beginning, but started to get more swings and misses and ground balls with that. Our defense helped out with that as well.”

Lena ElkinsRight-handed pitcher
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Offensively, Elkins was buoyed by another standout showing from 2024 All-Big 12 Freshman Sierra Humphreys, who turned in her second multi-double contest in her first four games and drove in both UCF runs.

The junior right-hander gave a peek in the top of the first inning at what was to come the remainder of the game, erasing a one-out walk with a 5-4-3 double play ball before Humphreys ran with her team’s early momentum in the home half of the frame.

After fellow 2024 All-Big 12 Freshman Samantha Rey kicked the inning off with a single, Humphreys missed clubbing her team’s first 2025 home run by a matter of inches. She rang a 2-2 pitch off the top of the left-center field wall to plate Rey, pushing the Black and Gold out to an early 1-0 lead with her third double of the weekend.

“(Rey) contributed a lot to that run, but honestly I just need to get into the weight room and do a couple more pushups to get it over,” Humphreys quipped with a smile.

Elkins made the early marker stand for the next five innings of action, working around a fielding error in the top of the second with her first Knights strikeout and tiptoeing around another miscue in the third with her second punchout.

Illinois managed two fourth-inning runners, but Elkins was again unfazed, fanning her third Fighting Illini hitter of the night between a pair of groundouts to work her way out of another jam.

“I trust her, and she trusts me. She told me that, and I wasn’t going to give up. I was still going, and even though there were some things going on in the infield I trust them no matter what. I felt that bond with (coach Ball-Malone) throughout the game.”

Lena Elkinson head coach Ball-Malone

As the pressure increased in the late innings, Elkins remained cool. She stranded a one-out triple in the fifth thanks in part to a key run-saving catch made by Aubrey Evans in shallow left field, and pitched around a pair of Illini baserunners in the top of the sixth, including a pair of groundouts and a pop out.

Humphreys came through once more in the home half of the fifth, again following a Rey single with a run-scoring double that split the right-center field gap and doubled UCF’s one-run advantage.

Through just four games, Humphreys sits just two doubles shy of tying her 2024 season total of six, and has now twice recorded a 2025 Big 12 single-game season high in the category. The showing marked the infielder’s third career multi-double game as well.

“I knew with two outs, (Rey) was going to get something going, I talked to her before to help her get something started. I knew I had to show up for my team, because Lena was pitching very well.”

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The added insurance proved necessary, as Illinois managed a trio of singles within its first five seventh-inning at-bats to push its first run of the game across with two outs.

Ball-Malone’s faith in Elkins never wavered, and the right-hander, along with a standout game-clinching play by a pair of freshman infielders that forced a share of Elkins’ spotlight, rewarded UCF’s seventh-year head coach.

Elkins induced a ground ball that chopped over her head and to Coco Jaimes at second base, whose throw was seconds too late to record the out at first base. Izzy Mertes, tabbed for the start at first base by Ball-Malone, alertly made an accurate throw to Beth Damon behind the plate to cut down the attempted tying run for the contest’s final out.

“That’s why we do live situations all the time," Ball-Malone said. "With that, we’ve always talked about being ready for the runner coming through, so Izzy being ready was awesome. She was looking for it, she knew, she didn’t look for the call. I’m pleased with how they stayed under control and composed in that moment.”

UP NEXT

UCF will look to bring its momentum into the weekend’s final day of action, when the team will match up with the James Madison Dukes at 11 a.m., followed by a second tilt with Illinois at 1 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.

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