GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 17 UCF softball team fell in the first game of its weekend home-and-home series with the No. 5 Florida Gators, 7-0, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium Friday evening.
In a matchup between both teams’ lead starters and innings leaders, Knights’ redshirt sophomore right-hander Isabella Vega and Gators right-handed pitcher Keagan Rothrock, the pair matched each other pitch-for-pitch throughout the first two innings, bringing a scoreless contest into the bottom of the third inning.
Though Florida managed to find the scoreboard first in the frame, Vega, making her 33rd appearance and 19th start of the season, limited the damage to only a two-run Kendall Grover home run.
The Bradenton native bounced back with a spotless fourth inning, but the Florida offense once again came alive in the bottom of the fifth, plating five runs to open a 7-0 advantage before redshirt senior Macy Miles entered in relief to record the final two outs.
The third-year Knights right-hander blanked the Gators in the home half of the sixth as well to conclude her ninth relief effort of the spring, but the Black and Gold were unable to solve Rothrock offensively, tallying only a trio of hits by senior shortstop Aubrey Evans, sophomore third baseman Coco Jaimes and sophomore right fielder Zoe Calvez.
The showing marked only the third shutout loss of the season for UCF, all coming at the hands of top 10 ranked opponents in No. 8 Nebraska, No. 3 Texas Tech and the fifth-ranked Gators.
UP NEXT
The Knights have another chance against No. 5 Florida Saturday evening, as the teams will conclude the two-game series in Orlando. First pitch 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.