ORLANDO – Led once again by its star second baseman and a dominant display in the circle, the No. 25 UCF softball team continued its winning ways on its home field.
Junior Sierra Humphreys turned in one of her strongest days at the plate this spring, driving in three of the Knights’ four runs, to bolster freshman southpaw Hildie Dempsey and redshirt sophomore right-hander Isabella Vega in the Black and Gold’s 4-1 win over Ohio Thursday evening.
“Our two pitchers threw well and we had a couple of clutch hitters in Humphreys and Beth Damon. I’d like to see us play a little more solid in baserunning, defense and situational hitting. Ohio is a good team, but we can perform better in some situations.”
Cindy Ball-MaloneHead coachWith UCF’s latest victory, the team eclipsed double digit wins on the young season, improving to 10-3 through 13 showings, the program’s best 13-game start since the 2021 Knights went 11-2 through their first 13 contests.
They did it on the back of Humphreys’ two-hit, three-RBI day, a solo homer by Damon, and a display by Dempsey and Vega that saw the tandem yield just one unearned run on six hits in seven innings of work.
Humphreys, in driving in three of UCF’s four runs with her first multi-double game of the season and fourth such game of her career, now has back-to-back multi-hit games and six on the season. She also saw her overall season line jump to .500/.558/1.028 (18-for-36) with 11 runs scored, five doubles, one triple, four home runs, 37 total bases and 18 RBI.
First two-double game of the year 🔥 https://t.co/tQyjMVo1Qc pic.twitter.com/0lxw7L5zmH
— UCF Softball (@UCF_Softball) February 20, 2026
She first cashed in with two outs in the home half of the first inning, doubling in Ashleigh Griffin, who reached on a fielder’s choice, all the way from first base to give UCF an early 1-0 edge.
Humphreys again doubled in Griffin in the home half of the third, after the latter drew a two-out walk, and in the bottom of the sixth frame drew a bases-loaded walk herself to force home the Knights’ fourth run of the evening. The contest represented her fifth multi-RBI game already this year, as well as her second with at least three.
Damon, meanwhile, produced her squad’s loudest knock of the evening with her fourth home run of the year to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning. The long ball also marked her second extra-base hit of the evening, clinching her first game with multiple extra-base hits this spring.
Our first homer of the #SpaceU Classic was LAUNCHED 🚀@BethDamon08 https://t.co/AlQya3Zrwp pic.twitter.com/iUcY0esQ0h
— UCF Softball (@UCF_Softball) February 20, 2026
“The home run was amazing. It’s always my favorite thing to come celebrate with my teammates after rounding the bases. Obviously we have things to work on, but I thought it was a gritty win and I’m proud of the team that we pulled it out.”
Beth DamoncatcherThe support proved sufficient for Dempsey, who, in her third start in the circle this season, turned in a career high five innings pitched with just the one unearned run allowed on four hits.
She worked around a leadoff single in the top of the first inning thanks to a 3-6-3 double play turned by Griffin and Aubrey Evans, stranded a two-out double in the second, and left a leadoff third-inning single on base as well.
Ohio managed two more baserunners in the top of the fourth frame, but Dempsey was undaunted, retiring the last three, with help from a runner caught stealing by Damon, before also stranding another two-out Bobcat runner in the fifth inning.
Vega was called upon by Ball-Malone following a leadoff walk in the sixth, and she clinched her first save of the season with a pair of scoreless stanzas.
“I’m looking for the team to be more steady tomorrow,” Ball-Malone continued. “A couple of baserunning mistakes in the first inning, and then the situational hitting as well. We can play better defense, but I’m proud of our team for getting the win.”
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UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.