The Knights kick off the season with two shutout wins

Photo Courtesy of Samantha Sambucharan

UCF softball dominates season-opening doubleheader, defeating No.23 Boston University (BU) 13-0 and California State University (CSU) Bakersfield 10-0 on Thursday, Feb. 5, at the UCF Softball Complex.

Boston University Terriers

The Knights (2-0) started the game hot under the Florida sun, scoring six runs in the first inning to BU’s (1-1) zero. Freshman pitcher Ava Stuewe started her first game with UCF strong, finishing with four strikeouts and allowing only one hit after pitching four innings.

Sophomore utility player Kendall Yarnell hit her first career grand slam over the center field fence, adding four runs at the bottom of the first half.

BU sophomore outfielder Camryn Lyons grounded to the pitcher, which let Stuewe snap into action, resulting in a double play that got UCF out of a jam in the bottom of the second.

An RBI single from sophomore catcher Beth Damon allowed junior infielder Sierra Humphreys to add another run from second base.

UCF’s momentum carried into the fourth inning as singles from redshirt senior infielder Ashleigh Griffin and Damon, along with a double to left field from redshirt sophomore outfielder Destiny Washington added six runs for the Knights.

Senior infielder Aubrey Evans was the standout defensive player of the game, contributing four put-out assists in the Knights’ first victory of the season.

UCF collectively outmatched BU both offensively and defensively, finishing with a .429 overall hitting percentage and a 61.7 strike percentage, while the Terriers trailed with a .071 hitting percentage and a 54.1 strike percentage.

CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners

UCF returned to its home field on a high against CSU Bakersfield (0-2) about an hour later, shutting down the Roadrunners’ offense early.

The Knights added four runs with an RBI triple from sophomore utility player Izzy Mertes, followed by an RBI single from Humphreys at the bottom of the first.

The Roadrunners’ defense began to crumble as fielding and throwing errors resulted in additional runs for UCF. Freshman pitcher and outfielder Hildie Dempsey struck out CSU Bakersfield senior utility player Aileen Balderas to close the matchup, 10-0.

Humphreys ended as an offensive leader for UCF, going 2-for-3 at the plate with two doubles, two RBIs and a home run. As a team, the Knights’ overall stats declined from the previous game, hitting .250 and a strike percentage of 55.4.

The Knights remain at home to face No. 16 Duke University (0-0) on Friday at 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.