GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 21 UCF softball team received a strong start from true freshman Yessenia Lopez in the circle, but the team fell in its Wednesday evening tilt to the No. 3 Florida Gators, 3-0, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Lopez, tabbed for her 16th appearance and 10th start by head coach Cindy Ball-Malone, impressed in her third consecutive outing against a top-five ranked opponent.
Against a Gators offense that entered the contest leading the nation in total hits (275), home runs (56), RBI (236), slugging percentage (.707) and total runs scored (252), Lopez surrendered just three runs on four hits in her third appearance of at least six innings this spring.
UCF’s team leader in strikeouts entering the evening, Lopez notched two more in spinning a 1-2-3 bottom half of the first around a popup that she handled herself in the circle.
Florida took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a Jocelyn Erickson solo home run, and an inning later added a second solo shot courtesy of Kendra Falby.
Lopez bounced back with two scoreless frames in her final three, yielding just one more tally in the home half of the fifth on an RBI single by Falby.
Offensively, UCF was quieted by Florida starter Kara Hammock, producing a pair of singles and a Samantha Rey double through the contest’s first six innings. The Knights staged a late two-out comeback bid in the top of the seventh, when Kendall Yarnell came through with her fourth pinch hit of the season and Rey worked a four-pitch walk.
The Gators then called upon Katelynn Oxley in relief, who put an end to UCF’s rally.
UP NEXT
The No. 21 Knights look to regroup and prepare for their Big 12 home-opening three-game series against the Arizona State Sun Devils March 14-16. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. from the UCF Softball Complex and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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