• Final stats

ORLANDO, Fla. – When the UCF Knights needed a big performance most, sophomore Aubrey Johnson delivered. She saved her best performance for last, as she helped UCF beat the Memphis Tigers in the series finale to take the weekend series.

“She’s just that way game in and game out, right now. Very focused, very confident,” UCF head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said after the game. “You look from last year to this year, she’s a brand-new player. She’s mature, she’s confident, and she was going at it today.”

UCF (29-16, 8-4 in American Athletic Conference) beat Memphis (30-14, 6-6 in AAC) 6-2 on Sunday morning at the UCF Softball Complex to move within sole position of the No. 2 spot in the American. The USF Bulls (31-16, 9-3 in AAC) currently lead the conference.

Johnson’s big game started in the first inning when she homered to left-center field, her seventh bomb of the season. That also brought home freshman Denali Schappacher and put the Knights up 2-0.

In total, Johnson ended the game 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a run.

“I watched a lot of film and what they were going to be throwing me in different situations, and I just took advantage of that,” Johnson said after the win.

The Knights followed Johnson’s game-opening homer with two more runs, scoring their last two runs on an error from Memphis right fielder Addison Maxwell. Maxwell dropped a fly ball from junior Erin Emanuel, allowing freshman Kaitlyn Jensen and sophomore Kyra Klarkowski to score.

UCF started the game aggressively, recording four steals in the first inning alone.

In the third inning, Memphis cut UCF’s lead in half. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, freshman Baylee Smith hit a single to left-center field, allowing sophomore Erin Parker and senior Kyler Trosclair to score.

Schappacher scored the Knights’ fifth run in the fourth inning, as Johnson drove in her third and final RBI of the game with a base hit to right field to put UCF up 5-2.

The Knights’ last run of the game came in the sixth inning. Junior Cassady Brewer scored from third off a single to the shortstop by infielder Jazmine Esparza.

Though the Knights scored six runs, their most in any game this series, their offense didn’t capitalize on all of its opportunities. UCF stranded 10 batters, and, in the sixth inning, drove in only one run with the bases loaded.

“You know, we left a lot of people on base, and it defiantly was not a perfect game, but I think they came out here with a better mentality,” Luers-Gillispie said.

Sophomore Alea White (22-11) was the lone pitcher for the Knights, giving up eight hits and two earned runs. White also walked two and recorded a series-low one strikeout.

Starter Bayleigh Wisher (0-1) earned the loss after only 0.1 innings of work. She gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits. Freshman Mariah Nichols (0-1) pitched the most, going 5.0 innings and giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits six walks.

Who’s Next?

The Knights play their next game at home against a non-conference opponent. Florida Atlantic University comes to Orlando on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

For more on the Knights, as they prepare for a mid-week game with an in-state foe, follow Nick Santiago on Twitter at @NickSantiagoUCF.