TAMPA, Fla. – Jasmine Williams' two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth sparked UCF's comeback from an early four-run deficit as the No. 2-seeded Knights rallied past No. 7-seeded Memphis 7-4 in a first-round game in the 2023 American Athletic Conference Softball Championship Thursday afternoon at the USF Softball Stadium.
 
The Knights, who scored seven unanswered runs to close Thursday's game, advance to Friday's semifinals, where they will face either East Carolina or South Florida at 2:30 p.m. ET.
 
Williams' blast with one out in the sixth after Micaela Macario had reached on an error and gave UCF (37-19) its first lead after Memphis had built a 4-0 advantage through two-and-a-half innings.
 
UCF pitcher Sarah Willis, who was named The American's Pitcher of the Year yesterday, came on in relief to work five innings without allowing an earned run and went 1-for-2 at the plate, including an RBI single in the fourth inning that cut the Knights' deficit to 4-2.
 
Williams' sacrifice fly later in the fourth made it a one-run game before she put the Knights ahead with her fifth home run of the season in the seventh.
 
Memphis had built the early lead after the Tigers took advantage of a throwing error and a sacrifice fly in the first inning to go ahead, 2-0. Memphis added two more in the top of the third as Linsey Hargis smacked an RBI single to center and came home on Alia Zavala's sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
 
Johneisha Rowe went 2-for-3 to finish as the only Knights player with multiple hits as UCF saw eight players contribute to their nine hits on the day. Aubrey Evans was 1-for-2 with a two-run single in the sixth that accounted for the final score.
 
Willis was credited with the win in relief as she improved to 16-3. She scattered two hits and allowed an unearned run in five innings with a strikeout and four walks.
 
Memphis (8-43) managed three hits as Hargis led the way with a 1-for-3 day and two runs scored. 
 
The latest information on the 2023 American Softball Championship can be found on the conference's Championship Central site.