ORLANDO – The No. 21 UCF softball team saw a strong start from freshman right-hander Ava Stuewe, but a late Texas Tech rally sent the Knights to a 9-0 defeat at the UCF Softball Complex Saturday evening.
Stuewe, tabbed for her 10th start and 15th appearance of the season by head coach Cindy Ball-Malone, did well in silencing the potent third-ranked Red Raiders lineup for the better part of the contest, beginning her outing with four scoreless innings.
A double play in the top of the first inning aided the Fredericksburg, Texas native in stranding a pair of walks in the frame, and she later notched her first strikeout of the contest in a scoreless second.
Stuewe settled into a groove as the contest progressed, stranding a leadoff single in the third by rolling her team’s second double play turned of the day before spinning a perfect fourth inning that featured a pair of strikeouts looking.
A leadoff walk in the top of the fifth inning and a pair of defensive miscues gave Texas Tech the opportunity it was looking for, though, as the Red Raiders finally broke through with a five-run fifth and a four-run top of the sixth to pull away from the Black and Gold.
The Knights’ best scoring opportunity of the game came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Beth Damon and Izzy Mertes led off with back-to-back singles off Red Raiders starter Kaitlyn Terry, but the Knights couldn’t find the big hit to capitalize on the opportunity.
UP NEXT
UCF and Texas Tech conclude the weekend series with Sunday’s finale, set for 12 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.