• Final stats

The UCF Knights (26-14, 6-2 in American Athletic Conference) lost 11-3 in five innings to the UConn Huskies (14-24, 1-7 in AAC) in the second game of a double-header Saturday afternoon in Connecticut.

Sophomore Alea White (20-9) started for the Knights, pitching 1.2 innings, allowing four runs on three hits while striking out one and walking one. Freshman Cierra Word allowed two earned runs on two hits in just 0.1 innings. Sophomore Damara Begin pitched the most for UCF, lasting 2.1 innings and giving up four hits and five unearned runs.

Starter Katie Koshes was the lone pitcher for the Huskies, as she struck out 11 batters while only allowing one earned run on two hits and four walks. In total, Koshes went for 5.0 innings.

After a scoreless first inning, UConn broke the seal in the second, scoring four runs to go up early on the Knights 4-0.

Sophomore Carli Cutler started the scoring when she doubled to left-center field, allowing outfielder Ashlee Dahman to score from second. Designated player Chloe Kerns, who was on third, recorded her only run of the game off a fielding error at third base. UConn scored two more runs in the next at-bat when freshman Reese Guevarra doubled down the left-field line.

The Knights put two runs on the board in the third inning. Both runs were results of Huskies mistakes. Infielder Tamesha Glover scored from third base off an error from the first baseman, and junior Cassady Brewer scored from third when sophomore Jazmine Esparza was hit by a pitch.

Kerns tallied two of her team-high three RBIs in the bottom of the third when she singled to center field, allowing redshirt freshman Olivia Sappington and freshman Briana Marcelino to score, putting the Huskies up 6-2.

The Huskies added another two runs in the fourth inning when sophomore Kiwi McDaniel scored off a single from Sappington. Kerns recorded her final RBI by driving in Sappington to end the fourth-inning scoring.

Brewer, one of two Knights to have a hit in the game, scored the Knights’ last run when she homered to left field in the fifth inning.

UConn’s three-run fifth inning was its second-highest scoring inning of the game. Cutler scored the first run on a fielder’s choice. The second run came off a wild pitch by Toney, letting Bates score. Guevarra scored the last run when Marcelino hit a sacrifice fly to end the game.

Who’s Next?

The Knights and the Huskies conclude their series at noon on Sunday.

For more on the Knights, as they look to bounce back from their second conference loss of 2018, follow Nick Santiago on Twitter at @NickSantiagoUCF.