UCF softball captures second straight AAC tournament title, auto-bid to NCAA regional
A year ago, UCF softball run-ruled its opponent to capture its first AAC tournament championship since 2015 and much was the same Saturday in Tampa for Cindy Ball-Malone’s squad.
The No. 2 seed Knights were not only able to defend their title but do so in dominant fashion once again, winning 9-1 in five innings against No. 4 Tulsa behind the bat of Jasmine Williams, who went 2-of-3 with a 2-run homer in the bottom the fifth.
AAC pitcher-of-the-year Sarah Willis went the distance for the second straight game, striking out 6 while giving up just 3 hits and a walk at the USF Softball Stadium.
“Everybody just works together and does everything we need to do be successful like we are,” Willis said after the game.
Named the tournament’s most outstanding player, Willis was joined by Williams, Chloe Evans, Kennedy Searcy, Jada Cody and Aubrey Evans on the 12-player All-AAC tournament team.
“I’m just incredibly proud of this group,” said Ball-Malone, who alluded to her team overcoming injuries and having to adjust to new roles. “We have gone through so much adversity with the crazy schedule that we had.
“I’m proud of their fight and how they’ve continued to get stronger every game we play.”
With the win, UCF departs the AAC as back-to-back softball tournament champions and heads to the NCAA tournament for a third straight season before joining the Big 12 next year.
The Knights, who have won 13 in a row, jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening inning when Chloe Evans grounded out to allow Cody to score from third base.
UCF extended its lead in the bottom of the third when junior Searcy ripped a two-out bases-clearing triple down the right-field line to put her team ahead 3-0. Cody scored Searcy with an RBI single as UCF led by 4 runs after two innings.
Tulsa was able to cut the deficit to 3 in the third inning but the Knights tightened their grip on the game in the fourth.
With runners in scoring position, a wild pitch scored Nehanda Lewis from third base. Working with two outs and another runner on third, freshman Aubrey Evans doubled to give the Knights a 6-1 lead entering the fifth inning.
Williams, who hit a home run in an earlier round of the tournament, blasted a 2-run shot to right field that put UCF ahead 8-1.
Needing one more run to end the game, the Knights loaded the bases before Aubrey Evans sent an RBI single through the infield.
With an auto-bid to the NCAA tournament in hand, UCF will find out its regional destination Sunday night. The selection show airs at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Regardless of how far UCF goes in the postseason, the team’s motto stays the same, according to Willis:
“How we do anything is how we do everything.”
Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com and follow him on Twitter at @therealBeede.