Friday, May 19
UCF 6, South Carolina 1 – Box Score
Wichita State 6, Nebraska 5 – Box Score
 
Recaps
UCF 6, South Carolina 1 – Box Score
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Playing on its biggest stage and under the brightest lights thus far, Team 22 proved it belongs.
 
Facing South Carolina's notorious flamethrower, Donnie Gobourne, some 270 miles away from its home turf in Orlando, the (RV) UCF softball team was undaunted, topping the No. 20 Gamecocks by a convincing 6-1 final score to open NCAA Regional play at Florida State's Seminole Softball Complex Friday night.
 
The win marked the 40th of the campaign for the Knights, marking the ninth season in program history UCF has achieved at least 40 victories, and the first time in program history the Knights racked up 40 wins in three consecutive seasons.
 
UCF also collected extended its season-long win streak to 14 straight dating back to the Knights' 13-1 rout of Tulsa April 16, and has emerged victorious in 21 of its last 22 games going back even further to the Black & Gold's 3-2 win over North Florida March 29.
 
The Knights drew a regional matchup with the Gamecocks for the third time in program history, as well, and pushed their perfect postseason record against South Carolina to 3-0 after topping the Gamecocks by 4-1 and 5-2 final scores during the 2015 Tallahassee Regional.
 
The Knights pulled off their fourth victory this season over a ranked opponent by playing one of their most complete games of the season in all facets of the game. UCF dazzled throughout the evening in the field, making a handful of eye-popping defensive gems to complement right-hander Sarah Willis in her 10th complete game, and 19th win, of the year.
 
As she has been on numerous occasions throughout the 2023 slate, junior transfer Chloe Evans was also at the center of the offensive barrage in support of her roommate, Willis.
 
Before any of Evans' offensive heroics, though, it was center fielder Johneisha Rowe who made the highlight reels with an 8-5 double play to aid Willis in escaping the first inning unscathed.
 
Rowe also made an impressive running catch to record an out for her teammate in the seventh inning, and Evans, in the midst of her two-hit, three-RBI night, threw out a Gamecocks baserunner in the fifth frame as well after attempting to stretch a single into a double.
 
The Knights, unfazed by Gobourne's early velocity, threatened to score in both the first two frames, highlighted by freshman designated player Aubrey Evans' 17th double of the season in the first inning, becoming the program's all-time single-season doubles leader.
 
UCF managed to break the ice in the third on the strength of back-to-back one-out singles by Aubrey Evans and Jada Cody. After junior utility player Katie Burge entered to pinch-run for Aubrey, Chloe strode to the plate and shot an opposite field single to left that allowed Cody to score the game's first run.
 
After South Carolina scratched across an equalizer in the home half, the Knights punched back with two more in the fourth to retake a 3-1 advantage. Freshman Shelli DiPuma, pinch-running for Willis who had drawn a one-out walk, dashed home on a wild pitch uncorked by Gobourne, and Cody beat an infield single moments later to plate Rowe.
 
UCF punctuated its offensive exploits with a late surge in the sixth inning that saw the Knights score three more times, headlined by Chloe Evans' eighth triple of the season that pushed her into a tie with Tiffany Lane for the most in a single season in program history. Junior first baseman Shannon Doherty later squeezed Evans home with a successful bunt up the third base line.
 
Chloe notched her eighth game with at least three RBI in the winning effort, and with her 48 RBI this season moved into a tie for fourth-most in a single season in program history with Stephanie Best's 48 in 2004. Only Best and Cody remain ahead of Chloe on the list, combining to occupy the top three spots.
 
The surplus runs proved more than enough for Willis, who was once again masterful in quieting a Gamecocks offense that entered the tournament averaging five runs per game and an on-base percentage north of .370.
 
After allowing the tying run in the second, Willis bounced back with a spotless fourth inning that included her first two strikeouts of the evening, and the right-hander navigated a scoreless fifth, thanks in part to Chloe's outfield assist.
 
Willis tiptoed around a pair of baserunners in the sixth, and a 6-4-3 double play started by shortstop Jasmine Williams ended the contest in the seventh, clinching UCF's date with No. 3 Florida State Saturday afternoon.
 
The right-hander, who entered the evening with a 1.46 ERA that led The American and ranked 25th in the nation, lowered her season mark to 1.44 (145.2 IP, 30 ER) with her seven-inning effort Friday, and posted her 18th consecutive appearance allowing two runs or fewer since her March 24 complete game against the No. 21 Wichita State Shockers.
 
In that span, Willis has recorded a 0.69 ERA (90.2 IP, 9 ER) in 18 appearances (15 starts), adding 62 strikeouts while limiting her opposition to a .163 batting average-against.
 
Wichita State 6, Nebraska 5 – Box Score
STILLWATER – The Wichita State softball team won in dramatic fashion to open the NCAA Stillwater Regional, defeating Nebraska 6-5 in come-from-behind form, scoring all six runs in the final two innings.
 
Nebraska jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a two-run home run off a full-count from the bat of Mya Felder.
 
Two innings later, in the third, Felder would find the gap in the right side of the infield for a single, scoring two more runs in the process. The Cornhuskers would continue their early scoring with a fielder’s choice to push the lead to 5-0.
 
It wasn’t until a bases-loaded, two-out single in the bottom of that fifth that the Shockers scored their first two runs off the bat of Zoe Jones.
 
Trailing 5-2 in the final frame, the Shocker put on their rally caps. Bailey Urban pinch hit in the bottom frame and delivered a huge RBI single to begin the scoring. Krystin Nelson immediately followed with a sac-fly to push the score to 5-4.  With just one out, American Player of the Year Sydney McKinney came through to tie the game with an RBI double to left center before getting pushed home for the game-winning run off a single from Lauren Lucas.
 
Lauren Howell started the game for the Shockers, allowing four runs off two hits in two innings pitched. Freshman of the Year Alex Aguilar (W, 15-2) stepped in the circle for the Shockers in relief, allowing just one run in the final 5.0 innings to allow the Wichita State comeback.