ORLANDO – The UCF softball team enjoyed a fast start, but in its first matchup of the season against a ranked opponent, was edged by the No. 16 Duke Blue Devils, 5-2, at the UCF Softball Complex Friday evening.
“It’s early in the year and we have a young team, but I’d like to see us stick to our plan and make them change their plan mid-game,” said head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. “It’s a very good Duke team; they have solid pitching, defense, and they’re a dynamic team offensively.”
Despite the loss, the Knights managed to land the first offensive punch, scoring both runs in the home half of the first inning, and saw their relief corps limit the Blue Devils to one run on two hits in 4.2 innings of work.
After redshirt sophomore Isabella Vega, making her first start and appearance of the young season, needed just five pitches to navigate the top of the first inning, the Black and Gold capitalized on a pair of walks by Aubrey Evans and Ashleigh Griffin in the home half.
Junior utility player Sierra Humphreys, just hours removed from a strong 4-for-6 showing with a trio of extra-base hits between her team’s first two Thursday contests, again came through for the Knights with a booming two-out, two-run double to left center field.
“It’s one game, it’s day two of the season, so I’m not going to look into it too much, but I would like to see us to have the same approach that we had yesterday against everybody,” Ball-Malone continued. “We need to have the same approach and play against the best version of ourselves.”
The Blue Devils drew up a quick response, plating four runs between the second and third frames to take a 4-2 advantage and end Vega’s evening early.
Ball-Malone called upon one of her four freshman arms in Hildie Dempsey first, who quieted the storm with 2.2 innings of one-run ball before redshirt junior Macy Miles and senior Lena Elkins combined to hold Duke to one hit in their final two offensive frames.
Offensively, UCF came up with a handful more threats but could not build upon its first-inning momentum in the squad’s first defeat of the season.
Through three games, Dempsey represents the Knights’ innings leader with 4.2, having yielded just one earned run (1.50 ERA) on two hits with three punchouts, while Humphreys paces the Knights offensively with a .556 average (5-for-9) with five runs scored, three doubles, one home run and five RBI.
UP NEXT
The Knights look to bounce back in their Saturday evening contest against the Maryland Terrapins, slated for 7 p.m. from the UCF Softball Complex
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
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.