During her postgame TV interview, the UCF Knights kept piling bats into Aubrey Evans’ hands.
The senior shortstop stayed calm, cool and collected through the distractions. But her teammates’ ribbing summed up their NCAA Tournament game against Stetson.
UCF brought its sticks on May 16.
Spurred by a second-inning grand slam by Evans, the Knights cruised to a 10-1 victory in five innings. They clinched a spot in the Tallahassee Regional finals on May 17.
“Just having freedom up in the box,” Evans said. “Picking our pitch and driving it. I thought we executed that from the beginning in the first inning. So I’m really proud of this team.”
Here are three takeaways:
1. Aubrey Evans ignites UCF barrage with grand slam
After struggling to gain any offensive traction for much of its Regional opener against Jacksonville State on Friday, the Knights encountered no such problems on Day 2.
Evans singled to lead off the contest, and though UCF didn’t score in the first inning, the floodgates parted with two outs in the second.
Evans launched a towering grand slam to left field, making it 4-0. The Knights added to their total in every inning after that.
In the third, Ashleigh Griffin ripped an RBI single and Samantha Rey took a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to welcome home another runner.
In the fourth, Kendall Yarnell led off with a solo shot over the center-field fence.
And finally, in the fifth, UCF tacked on its last three runs, first with a sacrifice fly by Yarnell and then a two-run double by Beth Damon.
The Knights outhit Stetson 12-4. Evans had a game-best three knocks.
2. Freshman pitcher Ava Stuewe handles NCAA Tournament pressure
UCF ace Isabella Vega was available for the start after tossing only two innings of relief against the Gamecocks on Friday. But coach Cindy Ball-Malone went with freshman right-hander Ava Stuewe and was rewarded for it.
Stuewe allowed only three hits and one walk in four innings. The Hatters scratched across their lone run with two outs in the bottom of the second inning, when a Gia Napoli double brought Madelyn Synoracki all the way around from first base.
Vega closed the victory with a scoreless fifth. Expect to see her Sunday.
3. Stetson remains alive but faces tougher path
Stetson will suit up for a second contest Saturday.
At 5 p.m., it will square off with the winner of Florida State-Jax State. The victor will secure a showdown with UCF for the region title and will have to top the Knights twice to advance to Super Regionals. The loser will head home for the offseason.
The Hatters already showcased an ability to hang with the top-seeded Seminoles during their 8-3 triumph in the weekend opener. It immediately became one of the biggest moments in program history.
Stetson has not played the third-seeded Gamecocks since beating them in April 2023. The programs are 8-8 all-time against each other.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF vs. Stetson: 3 key takeaways from NCAA softball tournament game
Reporting by Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
