• Final stats

The UCF Knights (7-5) finished the first day of the Green and Gold Classic in Jacksonville with a 4-0 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions (0-7).

Sophomore Alea White (6-4) was the Knights’ lone pitcher this afternoon. She earned her sixth win of the season, throwing her sixth complete game with seven strikeouts, allowing five hits and a walk.

Jessica Cummings started for Penn State, pitching 2.0 scoreless innings with a strikeout. She returned in the sixth and allowed a hit that didn’t tally two runs to her name.

Ashton Mensinger (0-1) suffered the loss after just 1.0 inning of three hits and an earned run. The communication between right-handed pitcher Madison Shaffer and her catcher, however, proved to be Penn State’s undoing, as they started the game with a wild pitch and passed ball.

Third baseman Courtney Rotton and junior Cassady Brewer had a hit and a run, as Brooke Barlow had UCF’s only two RBIs.

Brewer broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth when she sprinted home from third base on a wild pitch. Penn State was looking for a more accurate arm when Shaffer came in for Mensinger, who allowed a lead-off single and a double moments before.

Rotton, then, reached first on a fielding error and advanced to second on a passed ball. The senior then stole third and sprinted home for a 2-0 lead on a throwing error by the catcher.

The Knights finished their scoring in the bottom of the sixth. Barlow singled up the middle for two RBIs, driving in freshmen Kaylee Misiti and Kendyl Lange.

White only allowed one hit in the seventh inning, striking out her final batter and clinching the win for the Knights.

Who’s Next?

UCF is now 1-1 in the tournament with two more days and three more games to go. On Saturday, the Knights will face Western Carolina University for the second time this tournament at 9:30 a.m. and then against the No. 23 James Madison Dukes.

For more on the Knights, as they continue the Green and Gold Classic, follow Nick Santiago on Twitter at @NickSantiagoUCF.