No. 21 Softball Bests FIU, 3-1, in Wednesday Midweek MatchupNo. 21 Softball Bests FIU, 3-1, in Wednesday Midweek Matchup

No. 21 Softball Bests FIU, 3-1, in Wednesday Midweek Matchup

by Ryan Ladika
Box Score

MIAMI, Fla. – On the back of a strong performance in the circle by freshman right-hander Ava Stuewe, the No. 21 UCF softball team bested the FIU Panthers, 3-1, in the teams’ midweek clash in Miami Wednesday afternoon.

The effort lifted the Knights to their 24th win of the spring, pushing the squad to a 24-7 overall record entering its third Big 12 Conference weekend series of the season.

UCF also clinched its third win over an in-state foe in its first three tries this season after also having topped FAU, 9-5, and Florida A&M, 21-2 earlier this spring. With three wins over in-state opponents this year, the Black and Gold improved to 54-22 all-time against Florida-based schools in the Cindy Ball-Malone era.

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In leading UCF to its latest triumph, Stuewe, tabbed for her 14th appearance and ninth start this spring by Ball-Malone, stifled the Panthers to the tune of just one unearned run on two hits in 6.1 innings of work.

Her outing marked the second of her career that saw her eclipse at least six innings, joining her 6.2-inning display against then-No. 12 Oklahoma State in Stillwater that saw her yield just two runs, one earned on four hits with five strikeouts March 7.

“I was definitely leaning on my teammates and my defense, they kept reminding me in between each pitch that they were here for me and for me to feed them. It went a long way in keeping me in the right mindset and calm throughout the game.”

Ava StueweRight-handed pitcher

Wednesday’s appearance also saw Stuewe bring a no-hit bid into the sixth inning, holding the Panthers hitless until FIU catcher Isabella Perez shot a two-out single through the left side.

She began her latest start stranding a pair of Panther runners in the home half of the first and a third FIU baserunner in the second, notching her first strikeout of the afternoon.

A two-out walk was again stranded by Stuewe in the bottom of the third, and the right-hander recorded her first 1-2-3 inning of the day in the home half of the fourth, retiring the side in order with two more strikeouts.

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“I’ve leaned on a lot of the things I’ve learned throughout this year, with all the innings I’ve thrown. Taking that into games and building on each outing has been key for me.”

Ava Stueweright-handed pitcher

Her offense, meanwhile, managed to break through in the top half of the fourth frame, when sophomore utility Kendall Yarnell cashed in on a leadoff Coco Jaimes single and a one-out hit-by-pitch drawn by Beth Damon. The Olathe, Kansas, native lined an 0-2 offering into the right-center field gap, plating Jaimes and pinch-runner Ayala Durant to push UCF in front, 2-0.

In providing the early key offensive hit, Yarnell notched her seventh double of the season and pushed her season RBI total to 27 through 31 games, also clinching her eighth multi-RBI game of the year.

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An Aubrey Evans sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth extended UCF’s advantage to three, and Stuewe, with a bit cushion, proceeded to toss her second straight 1-2-3 frame in the home half before also retiring the first two hitters of the sixth, having set down nine consecutive Panther hitters.

Following FIU’s first hit of the day, she induced a groundout to escape the sixth unscathed, and redshirt sophomore Isabella Vega was later called upon in the seventh to nail down her fourth save of the year in putting an end to a late FIU rally.

The contest marked UCF’s 10th this season without surrendering an earned run, as well as its seventh with two or fewer hits allowed.

Stuewe, in spinning her 6.1 innings without an earned run, lowered her season ERA to 1.89 through her first 44.1 innings this year, joining teammates Isabella Vega and Hildie Dempsey as the third arm on UCF’s staff with a sub-2.00 ERA in at least 40 innings of work.

“Learning to trust my stuff has been big. A lot of people have told me to trust what I have and trust the defense behind me. I’ve been leaning on that and my teammates, and just going out and trying to attack during each time I’m out there.”

Ava Stueweright-handed pitcher

UP NEXT
The Knights gear up for one of their biggest tests of the 2026 season, as the squad will welcome the No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders to Orlando in the teams’ third weekend of Big 12 Conference play. First pitch for Friday’s series-opener is set for 6 p.m. from the UCF Softball Complex and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

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.