ORLANDO – Redshirt freshman right-hander Isabella Vega turned in a career night, but the UCF softball team fell in a Thursday evening pitchers’ duel in nine innings to the visiting Iowa State Cyclones, 2-0, in the teams’ series-opener at the UCF Softball Complex.
Vega, tabbed for her seventh start of the year and 14th appearance overall, dazzled throughout the longest appearance of her young collegiate career, spinning 8.2 innings of scoreless ball before a pair of runners who reached base just before she departed scored the lone two runs of the game in the top of the ninth inning.
Her 8.2 innings pitched marked a single-game career high, as well as the third time this season the Bradenton native had worked at least seven innings in an appearance, joining her seven-inning relief effort against then-No. 15 Missouri Feb. 11 and her seven-inning, one-hit shutout against Providence March 1.
The right-hander’s Thursday outing also marked the most innings worked by a Knights pitcher in a single game since then-senior Sarah Willis tossed a 12-inning complete game in UCF’s 2-1 loss to Auburn in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional May 18, 2024.
After Iowa State’s leadoff hitter reached on a first-pitch bunt single in the first inning, Vega yielded just one more hit in her next seven frames of work, a leadoff double in the top of the second that she managed to strand with a pair of flyouts.
Vega retired eight consecutive Cyclones on the heels of their second-inning double, and after allowing a hit-by-pitch with two outs in the fourth, went on to set down the next seven consecutive Iowa State hitters.
The visitors later put two on base with two outs in the top of the ninth inning and finally broke the scoreless stalemate with a two-run double to right field.
UCF, meanwhile, managed a trio of hits on the night, coming from Izzy Mertes, Ashleigh Griffin and Coco Jaimes.
UP NEXT
The Black and Gold will look to even the series against Iowa State Friday evening, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. from the UCF Softball Complex. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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