• Final stats

The UCF Knights (8-6) lost their second of back-to-back games at the Green and Gold Classic in Jacksonville to the No. 23 James Madison Dukes 3-2 on Feb. 24.

Alea White (5-5) pitched her seventh complete game for the Knights and her second of the tournament. White recorded three strikeouts, allowing four walks and three earned runs.

Dukes designated player and pitcher Odicci Alexander (5-1) pitched for the first 4.0 innings, striking out three players and allowing two earned runs, three hits and two walks. Payton Buresch pitched the last 3.0 innings with two strikeouts and no earned runs.

Second basemen Aubrey Johnson tied the game at 2-2 for the Knights in the second inning with a two-run homer to left field, also allowing freshman Kaitlyn Jensen to trot home.

But that was all he offense UCF could generate, as James Madison scored its game-tying run in the bottom of the second and kept the game scoreless on both sides the rest of the way.

The Dukes’ Madison Naujokas scored the last run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. She singled to the shortstop, then advanced to second after Cambry Arnold grounded out to the third baseman. Naujokas then scored after Alexander singled up the middle.

Freshman Hayley Bejarano came close to tying the game for the Knights in the seventh inning. Bejarano singled down the left-field line, then advanced to second. Jazmine Esparza grounded out to the pitcher, allowing Bejarano to move to third, but Erin Emanuel also grounded out to the pitcher, ending the Knights’ comeback and the game.

White kept the Knights in the game, recording a strikeout in each of the final three innings. The loss to James Madison was White’s fourth-straight complete game, her second in two days.

Who’s Next?

The Knights will conclude 2018 Green and Gold Classic play on Sunday, playing Jacksonville University at 2:00 p.m.

For more on the Knights, as they conclude their time in Jacksonville, follow Nick Santiago on Twitter at @NickSantiagoUCF.