With a national television audience tuning in on ESPNU, UCF notched a 2-0 victory against USF in the opening softball game of the War On I-4 Rivalry Series. Freshman Alea White recorded her third shutout of the season, limiting the Bulls to three hits.
One of the goals that coach Gillispie set heading into the game was striking first. That's exactly what her team did. Senior designated player Linnea Goodman and junior centerfielder Megan Greenwell led off the opening frame by reaching base.
UCF continues the War on I-4 on Friday with the first pitch against USF set for 5:30 p.m.
Behind senior RHP Lydia Ritchie's second-straight complete-game shutout, and fifth of the season, East Carolina picked up a 4-0 victory over Connecticut in the teams' American Athletic Conference series opener Friday evening at the ECU Softball Stadium.
In addition to Ritchie's exceptional effort in the circle, East Carolina used the long ball to score all four of its runs as the Pirates stretched their league-best home run total to 54 – matching The American single-season record and drawing within four of tying the program's single-season standard.
The series opener between American Athletic Conference softball leaders Tulsa and Houston was suspended with two outs in the top of the ninth and no score on Thursday evening. The game will resume at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon and game two of the three-game set will follow.
The matchup between the Golden Hurricane (26-13, 5-1) and Cougars (20-17, 5-1) lived up to the billing as Emily Watson and Savannah Heebner matched each other in the pitching circle.