No. 21 Softball Run-Rules Arizona State, 11-0, Behind Damon's Career DayNo. 21 Softball Run-Rules Arizona State, 11-0, Behind Damon's Career Day

No. 21 Softball Run-Rules Arizona State, 11-0, Behind Damon's Career Day

Freshman catcher records second-most single-game RBI in program history in Knights' six-inning win.

by Ryan Ladika
Box Score

ORLANDO – “We always talk about protecting the Plex. We really emphasized that after the loss last night, and then coming in today in the locker room.”

In backing up her postgame sentiment, freshman catcher Beth Damon, along with the rest of the No. 21 UCF softball team, ensured the squad’s brief three-game skid would not hit four.

The Knights, led by Damon’s career day at the plate, produced their latest statement victory at the UCF Softball Complex Saturday afternoon, routing the Arizona State Sun Devils, 11-0 in six innings, to even the weekend series at one game apiece.

The win clinched the Black and Gold’s 20th of the season through their first 31 games, as well as the squad’s sixth RPI top 40 win of the season, as the Sun Devils (20-8, 3-2 Big 12) entered the weekend at No. 26 in the NCAA’s official rankings.

They did it on the back of Damon’s first career two-homer day and redshirt freshman Isabella Vega’s dominant six-inning, two-hit shutout, an effort that lowered her season era to a glistening 1.21 through her first 46.1 innings this spring.

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“When she spins that ball and uses all four quadrants, she’s tough to beat. With her offspeed and movement, it puts us in a really good position to be on top at the end.”

Cindy Ball-MaloneHead coach

On the heels of its second straight shutout loss Friday, the Knights produced the fast offensive start they were looking for Saturday afternoon with a four-run bottom of the first inning.

After Vega dispatched of the Sun Devils in order in the top of the frame, the Knights sent all nine hitters to the plate in the bottom half, beginning with Madison Simon’s leadoff walk.

A Stormy Kotzelnick single and Izzy Mertes walk then loaded the bases for Damon, who recorded the first of her seven RBI with a groundout to second base, giving her squad an early 1-0 lead.

Kendall Yarnell and Ashleigh Griffin then followed with consecutive run-scoring singles, pushing UCF’s lead to four prior to the conclusion of the contest’s first inning.

“They did better with the plan, we prep them for every pitcher we face. They did a great job attacking the plan. To put some runs on them in the end too, it was much better overall. I still think we can clean some things up, but I’m very pleased with the adjustments from yesterday.”

Cindy Ball-MaloneHead Coach

Vega ran with the early momentum, stifling Arizona State’s offense throughout the game. She notched her second punchout and stranded a two-out walk in the second inning, fanned two more in leaving two runners on in the third, and later added another punchout in a 1-2-3 fourth.

After Vega induced a trio of groundouts in a perfect fifth inning, the Knights offense broke through once again. Mertes drew her second free pass of the afternoon ahead of Damon, who launched the first pitch she saw over the center field batter’s eye for her third home run of the season to extend UCF’s edge to 6-0.

“I was just looking for something away early, she missed over the inside of the plate. I trusted the coaches’ approach and that the dugout would have my back, and just going from there.”

Beth Damoncatcher

The Knights’ right-hander got back to work in the top of the sixth, pitching around a two-out single, and her offense then put the finishing touches on its fourth run-rule win, and first against a power four opponent, this season.

UCF saw three straight singles open the home half of the sixth, by Samantha Rey, Simon and Aubrey Evans, the last of which pushed across the team’s seventh run, and a Kotzelnick walk loaded the bases for Damon’s eventual run-rule-clinching, game-ending grand slam.

The contest marked Damon’s second career three-hit game, first career multi-home run game, and first career multi-extra-base hit game, and gave the freshman a career-high seven RBI and nine total bases in the winning effort. She also hit UCF’s second run-rule-clinching, game-ending grand slam in as many seasons, after fifth year senior Sona Halajian clinched UCF’s 9-0 run-rule victory over North Florida with a fifth-inning grand slam April 2, 2024.

Her seven RBI also represent the second-most by a single player in a game in program history, and the most since Knights Hall-of-Famer Stephanie Best plated 11 in the Knights’ 18-2 win over Army March 19, 2003.

“Beth’s a special one. She’s a great teammate, she does a great job behind the plate for her pitchers. I like to see how she’s coming into her own at the plate, because there’s more where that came from today.”

Cindy Ball-MaloneHead Coach

Vega, meanwhile, recorded her third appearance of at least six innings Saturday, and her second such start with two or fewer hits allowed. The right-hander lowered her batting average-against to a team-best .184 in her outing as well, having entered her start ranking among Big 12 Conference leaders in shutouts (T-2nd), strikeouts per seven innings (4th), strikeout-to-walk ratio (T-4th), ERA (5th), WHIP (5th) and fewest hits allowed per seven innings (6th).

“I felt good; I felt comfortable trusting my teammates both offensively and defensively,” Vega said. “I saw a lot of fight from them to give us the momentum we needed. It gave me confidence, as well as our defense, we just needed to shut them down to get back in the dugout and keep scoring runs.”

UP NEXT

The Knights look to clinch their second conference series win in as many opportunities in the teams’ Sunday morning finale. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. from the UCF Softball Complex and will be streamed on ESPN+.

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