• Final stats

The UCF Knights (26-13, 6-1 in American Athletic Conference) beat the UConn Huskies (13-24, 0-7 in AAC) 8-3 to take the first game of a back-to-back on Saturday afternoon in Connecticut.

Sophomore Alea White (20-8) pitched all 7.0 innings, allowing six hits, a walk and three earned runs while tying her season-high in strikeouts with 10. Sophomore Kamryn Toney came in to relieve White in the sixth but was quickly replaced by White after walking two and throwing a wild pitch.

Starter Jill Stockely (6-11) pitched 5.2 innings for the Huskies, striking out five while walking three. She gave up 12 hits and eight earned runs on the day. Sophomore Katie Koshes relieved Stockley, pitching the last 1.1 innings and recording three strikeouts.

UCF broke the game open in the sixth inning, scoring five of their eight runs then.

With the Knights leading 3-2, UCF scored their game-sealing runs with two outs. Freshman Denali Schappacher started the scoring, recording her lone RBI of the game when she singled to center field, allowing outfielder Kyra Klarkowski to score.

In the Knights’ next at-bat, Brewer drilled a three-run home run to left field and put the Knights up 7-3. The last run of the inning came from sophomore Aubrey Johnson, who hit a solo home run to left field.

UConn scored its last run of the game in the sixth inning, too, when freshman Maura Glatczak homered to left field to get her only hit and run of the game.

White started the game hot, recording three-straight strikeouts to keep the game scoreless.

One inning later, the Knights scored first when junior Erin Emanuel hit a single to the shortstop, allowing Klarkowski to score from third to put the Knights up 1-0.

Emanuel was one of five Knights to have multiple hits in this game. She went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

Schappacher scored from second after catcher Cassady Brewer doubled down the right-field line to put the Knights up 2-0 in the third inning.

The Huskies answered back in the third inning, scoring two runs to tie the game at 2-2. With two outs and two runners on base, sophomore Kiwi McDaniel singled to the shortstop to load the bases.

Sophomore Carli Cutler was next to bat and was hit by a pitch on a 2-2 count, allowing her to advance to first and let outfielder Kelli Bates score from third. Redshirt freshman Olivia Sappington drew a full-count walk, allowing infielder Briana Marcelino to score from third.

Emanuel got her second RBI of the day in the fourth, doubling to center field and allowing Klarkowski to score again for a 3-2 UCF lead.

Who’s Next?

UCF will play UConn in Game 2 of their back-to-back at 3 p.m.

For more on the Knights, as they look to keep the Huskies winless in AAC play, follow Nick Santiago on Twitter at @NickSantiagoUCF.