HOUSTON – Members of the No. 22 UCF softball team had plenty of chances to perfect their home run trots on Sunday, sending a jaw-dropping 10 balls over the wall in Sunday’s 22-8 victory over the Cougars, earning the series sweep. The 10 longballs is the most by any team in a single game this season and set a program record. The exclamation point of the afternoon was added with a 11-run spot in the top of the seventh, putting the icing on what was a sweet series sweep.
In total, 19 swings left the yard for the Black and Gold this weekend. UCF entered the three-game set with Houston tallying 30 so far in 2026.
UCF set the program record for home runs in a single game just two days after tying the previous program of eight in the 16-1 win over the Cougars on Friday. The original mark of eight home runs was set against Stetson on April 23, 2025.
The series sweep had its fair share of special moments. On top of tying and later breaking the program record for homers in a game, Isabella Vega spun a perfect game on Saturday, just the fourth in program history. The Black and Gold were victorious by double-digits in each game of the series.
Sunday afternoon’s contest got off to a slow start in comparison to what was to come. Sierra Humphreys got the scoring started in the bottom of the first by driving in a run via a single before Kendall Yarnell recorded the first homer of the day to center field in the second.
The scoring started to add up quickly as a total of 15 combined runs were scored by both sides in the next two innings. Beth Damon, Izzy Mertes and Sierra Humphreys went back-to-back-to-back on launching balls out of the park, making it 6-0. Houston answered with a three-run shot to left to cut the Knights lead in half in the bottom of the third.
The fourth inning saw more fireworks as UCF launched another three home runs and four more RBI to jump up 10-3, all with two outs. Mertes slugged her second of the day to center to get the rally started. A Humphreys walk made way for an Ashleigh Griffin homer, which was followed immediately by a dinger from Yarnell to right field. Houston responded with four of its own in the home half with another three-run homer and a single to center.
The two sides tallied just one run each over the next two innings as Aubrey Evans scampered home on a wild pitch in the top of the fifth while Houston singled in a run with one out in the sixth, making the score 11-8.
The Knights restarted the parade route to home plate I the seventh, posting a 11 spot in their last at bats of the contest. After a leadoff walk, Humphreys launched her second homer of the day to make it 13-8. UCF loaded the bases by reaching on an error, walk and hit by pitch, making way for a Destiny Washington walk to send the second run of the inning across. The next four batters kept the scoreboard operator busy, as Evans knocked in another pair with a two-RBI single. Damon dug in next and ripped a single on the first pitch she saw to score one more.
With the scoreboard reading a lopsided 17-8 and just one out in the top of the seventh, Mertes tallied a hat trick of homers, driving in three runs. The final run came via another home run hat trick as Humphreys tagged her third one of the day over the fence, making the score 21-8. A sac fly from Samantha Rey was the final run of the onslaught, sendingTaylor Kittleman across the plate.
A trio of Knights had a three-homer game on the weekend, as Evans did so on Friday’s contest before Mertes and Humphreys had a hat trick of their own on Sunday. With all three slugging three home runs, the trio ties Stephanie Best, the program’s most prolific history, as Knights to hit three longballs in a single game.
The 10-home run game was one of the more impressive power displays in recent memory. UCF’s 10 homers is the most in a game in the NCAA this season and the most since Virginia Tech swatted 11 out of the park against Pittsburgh April 18, 2025. Before that, the last double-digit home run performances came during the 2022 season, with Wichita State and Duke both tallying 10 home run games. Oklahoma owns the record for most homers in a game with 13 set against UTEP Feb. 11, 2021.
UP NEXT
By snagging another Big 12 road series victory, UCF sits 6-6 in conference play with an impressive 28-10 record. The Knights return to the friendly confines of their home ballpark for a three-game set with Utah. The series gets going with 6 p.m. first pitches on Thursday, April 2 and Friday, April 3 before wrapping up the series on Saturday with a noon start time.
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.