ORLANDO, Fla. – As the 2018 regular season comes to a close, the UCF Knights seem to be clicking on all cylinders. UCF played one of its most complete games in the second of a three-game series with the ECU Pirates, as nine Knights scored a run and six had at least one hit.
“I think we’re doing great things, and we’re peaking at the right time going into the tournament next week,” UCF assistant coach Trena Prater said after the game.
UCF (33-21, 11-9 in American Athletic Conference) defeated East Carolina (23-30, 8-12 in AAC) 9-3 Sunday afternoon at the UCF Softball Complex.
Sophomore Alea White (24-14) pitched all 7.0 innings for the Knights, giving up seven hits and three earned runs. White walked two batters and had only two strikeouts, three total, so far, in the series.
Freshman Whitney Sanford (8-13) was credited with the loss, pitching 3.2 innings. Sanford gave up six hits and four runs while walking six and striking out half that. Redshirt junior Ashley Cruise relieved Sanford, pitching 1.2 innings and giving up one hit and four earned runs. Freshman Erin Poepping gave up no hits and one run in her 0.2 innings pitched.
The Knights tied a school record for walks, drawing 12 in Game 2 against ECU, as seven came in the fourth inning.
UCF scored three runs off those walks in the fourth and four in total, its most of any inning this game. The Knights also scored in the fourth without recording a single hit. UCF’s first three batters drew walks before the Pirates made a pitching change.
Poepping was in as the new pitcher but walked her first batter, allowing freshman Denali Schappacher to score. Junior Erin Emanuel, who tallied two RBIs, hit a sacrifice fly to center field to allow freshman Kaylee Misiti to score from third. Poepping walked two more batters, allowing sophomore Aubrey Johnson to score, before she was pulled for Sanford.
Sanford walked her first batter with four-consecutive balls in her return to allow sophomore Kyra Klarkowski score the Knights’ final run of the inning for an 8-3 UCF lead.
“We came in knowing we had to let them pitch to us so we can go ahead and get our hits. So we were really patient up there. We were expecting a lot of walks,” said junior Brooke Barlow, who drew two walks, after the game.
After a scoreless first inning from both teams, the Knights scored three runs in the second inning for the first lead of the game.
Emanuel hit her first home run of the season in the inning’s first at-bat, sending a full-count pitch over the left-field wall for the first run of the day. She ended the game 1-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.
In the the Knights’ next at-bat, Barlow hit a double to right-center field. Sophomore Jazmine Esparza followed that up by hitting a home run to left field on the first pitch she saw, claiming UCF’s 3-0 lead.
“[It was] awesome offensive production today with Erin’s first-career home run ever, which is awesome. I’m so proud of her. She’s been working a lot,” Prater said. “We really applied the pressure, put some hits together today, and it was awesome.”
Barlow tallied her second and final hit in the third inning, a base hit to left-center field, allowing senior Courtney Rotton to score and to put the Knights up 4-0.
Redshirt sophomore Tate McClellan gave ECU life in the fourth. After a lead-off base hit to left field by center fielder Tyler King, a fielder’s choice eliminated her at second. First baseman Meredith Burroughs, then, drew a full-count walk before McClellan hit a three-run home run to center field to make it a one-run game.
Junior Cassady Brewer scored the final run for the Knights off a Rotton double to center field in the fifth inning.
Who’s Next?
The Knights play their last home game of the regular season on Sunday at noon.
For more on the Knights, as they look to sweep the Pirates with a win on Sunday, follow Nick Santiago on Twitter at @NickSantiagoUCF.
