The American Today: RV/RV UCF Wins Conference Opener; No. 24/23 USF Extends Win Streak to 22 - American Conference

Softball

The American Today: RV/RV UCF Wins Conference Opener; No. 24/23 USF Extends Win Streak to 22



Standings
 

Results

Friday

RV/RV UCF 1, UConn 0 Recap Box Score
No. 24/23 USF 4, Houston 0 Recap Box Score
RV/RV Tulsa 12, East Carolina 3 (5 inn.)  Recap Box Score


Highlights

- RV/RV UCF gave head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie her 800th career victory with a 1-0 win over UConn on Burrill Family Field at the Connecticut Softball Stadium. 

- UCF kept its streak alive in American Athletic Conference openers. The Knights have won all three since the league's inaugural season in 2014.

- Senior Shelby Turnier tossed a four-hit complete game. She fanned 10 in the shutout victory. She earned her 70th career victory, making her one of just three Knights to reach 70 career wins.  Turnier also claimed sole possession of third in all-time shutouts, posting the 21st of her career on Friday.

- Freshman Cassady Brewer went 3-for-3 at the plate with a run scored. 

- The Huskies' junior righty Kayla Doty (4-2) was charged with the loss after a complete-game, five-hit, one-run effort to go along with a pair of strikeouts and a single walk.

- Alyson Ambler, Alyssa Gardea, Jacklyn Dubois and Lexi Gifford each had a hit for UConn.

-  No. 24/23 USF now holds the nation’s longest active winning streak after defeating Houston, 4-0, on Friday night.

- The Bulls extended the program’s longest winning streak to 22 games, one ahead of No. 8 Florida State.  USF has outscored opponents, 143-32, during its longest streak since the 2012 Women’s College Series team won 19 in a row.

- Erica Nunn (16-5) pitched USF’s 10th shutout during the streak, allowing just two hits in a complete game performance. The senior left-hander struck out five batters and lowered her earned run average to 1.89.

- In the fourth inning Mia Fung drove in two runs with her league-leading ninth homer of the season. Lauren Evans also drove in a pair of runs and Lee Ann Spivey went 2-for-3 in the game.

- Senior LHP Julana Shrum (6-5) took the loss for the Cougars. She threw 3.1 innings and allowed three runs scored, while striking out two.

- Senior centerfielder Katie St. Pierre had the Cougars' first hit of the game, which extended her reached base streak to 34 consecutive games, dating back to the 2015 season.

- Sophomore Shelby Estocado registered two homeruns to lead  RV/RV Tulsa to a 12-3 run-rule victory over East Carolina on Friday afternoon at the Collins Family Softball Complex.

- Senior pitcher Caitlin Sill picked up her 14th win on the mound for the Golden Hurricane. She threw 84 pitches, faced 26 batters and recorded six strike outs. Sill pitched all five innings for the Hurricane.

- Estocado and Jodi Edmiston both went 3-for-3 at the plate and each led the team with four RBIs. Morgan Neal hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second.

- ECU's junior RHP Lydia Ritchie (11-8) gave up five runs on five hits in 1.2 innings of work while striking out one batter in the loss. Freshman RHP Mary Williams threw the final 2.1 innings and allowed seven runs on seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

- Sophomore third baseman Karlie Smith and senior outfielder Meredith Mitchell had two hits each for the Pirates. Junior outfielder Ciara Ervin posted her team-leading fourth home run of the season to lead off the top of the fourth inning. 

Up Next

RV/RV UCF: at UConn* (Storrs, Conn.) • Saturday, April 2 • Noon & 2 p.m. ET

UConn: hosts RV/RV UCF* • Saturday, April 2 • Noon & 2 p.m. ET

East Carolina: at RV/RV Tulsa* (Tulsa, Okla) • Saturday, April 2 • 3 p.m. ET

Houston: at No. 24/23 USF* (Tampa, Fla.) • Saturday, April 2 • 5 p.m. ET

Memphis: at Central Arkansas (Conway, Ark.) • Tuesday, April 5 • 6 p.m. ET

No. 24/23 USF: hosts Houston* •Saturday, April 2 • 5 p.m. ET

RV/RV Tulsa: hosts East Carolina* • Saturday, April 2 • 3 p.m. ET

[*] Indicates American Athletic Conference Game