AMERICAN SOFTBALL RELEASE - MARCH 6

PERFECTION IN THE CIRCLE
Just one week after tossing the second no-hitter of her career, Houston junior Trystan Melancon threw a perfect game on Saturday as the Cougars defeated DePaul 8-0. Melancon’s perfect game became just the fourth in program history and the first since Angel Shamblin threw the third of her career in 2008. Melancon also became the third pitcher in program history to toss three no-hitters in a career.  It is the second perfect game in American history, joining USF and USA National Team pitcher Sara Nevins’ gem from May 2014.

THE BIG 5-0
UCF junior Alea White notched a pair of wins over the weekend for UCF, reaching the 50-win mark for her career. White becomes the fifth pitcher in American history to tally 50 wins, and is the second active pitcher to reach the mark, joining Houston’s Savannah Heebner, who currently has 55 career wins entering this week’s action. Next on the charts for Heebner and White is former Knight Shelby Turnier, who had 65 career wins from 2014-2016. Emily Watson sits atop The American’s record book, totaling 74 wins for Tulsa from 2015-2018.

BALL-IN’ OUT
UCF head coach Cindy Ball-Malone was named as an assistant coach for the 2019 U.S. Junior Women’s National Team earlier this week. Ball-Malone will work the team throughout 2019, including at the Junior Women’s World Championship in Irvine, Calif., in August. Ball-Malone is in her first season with the Knights after four successful seasons at Boise State. In her last two campaigns, Ball-Malone compiled a 73-36 record and led the squad to the program’s first postseason appearance at the 2017 National Invitational Softball Championship and followed it up with a 2018 NCAA Tournament berth. Ball-Malone and UCF are 12-7 on the season entering midweek action.