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ORLANDO, May 8, 2015 – The Bulls and Knights had fans on the edge of their seats in an instant classic at the American Athletic Conference Tournament on Friday night in Orlando with No. 15 UCF coming out on top, 3-1, to advance to Saturday's tournament championship game.
Sam Greiner got her fourth consecutive start and delivered another stellar performance in the circle to keep the Bulls (36-20) in it after falling behind early. The senior exited the game with runners on first and second and the game tied at one in the top of the seventh inning.
“That's what you want your seniors to do, step up and perform like that, and she did it today,” head coach Ken Eriksen said after the game. “I don't think that anybody put us on their back like she did the past two weeks.”
Greiner led the Bulls' pitching staff over the past three weeks, posting a 1.35 ERA and allowing only five runs in 26.0 innings pitched in six appearances during that span.
No.1-seed UCF (47-4) took a quick lead with an early two-out rally in the top of the first inning. Back-to-back singles by Farrah Sullivan and Brittany Solis put runners on first and second for Jessica Ujvari, who delivered with an RBI single to left field to put the Knights up, 1-0.
Freshman shortstop Cassidy Boyle made an incredible play with the bases loaded to save at least one run and end the inning. Boyle made a diving stop on a groundball up the middle and then flipped it with her glove to get the force out at second base and keep the Knights from doing any further damage in the first.
Greiner and UCF starter Mackenzie Audas matched each other pitch-for-pitch throughout the game and Greiner got some more help from her defense in the top of the fifth inning. With runners on first and second, Sullivan singled up the middle but Bulls' center fielder Juli Weber threw a dart to get Linnea Goodman at home plate and keep the deficit at one.
The Bulls nearly tied the game in the bottom of the fifth but Astin Donovan was called out on an extremely close play at first base that would have allowed Lauren Evans to score from third and tie the game at one.
USF finally got the tying run in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a clutch RBI single by Lee Ann Spivey. D'Anna Devine reached base with her second hit of the day and moved to second on a groundout by Weber to set the stage for Spivey. The first-team all-conference selection came up with her biggest hit of the season with a two-out single to right field that allowed Devine to score and tie the game at one.
UCF answered right back, however, with two runs in the top of the seventh to retake the lead. It was Ujvari again who did the damage with a two-out single with the bases loaded to drive in two runs and put the Knights ahead, 3-1. Ujvari, the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, was responsible for driving in all three of UCF's runs in the game.
Karla Claudio nearly got the Bulls out of the jam after entering the game with the bases loaded and nobody out. The senior from San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico struck out the first two batters she faced and had two strikes on Ujvari before the RBI single that was nearly caught on a diving effort by Weber in center field.
“It's a game of inches … The different between gold and silver is a fingernail sometimes and that's what it was today,” Eriksen said.
Kristen Wyckoff had a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh to give the Bulls some hope but was left stranded there to end the game.
Friday's loss marked the second time in as many years that the Bulls have been knocked out in the conference semifinals after falling to eventual champion Louisville last season. USF will now have to hope for an at-large bid to extend its NCAA tournament streak to four straight years. The NCAA selection show will air at 10 p.m. Sunday night on ESPNU.
Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2012. The Bulls made their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament last season and posted their 14th season with 40 plus wins under head coach Ken Eriksen.
- #GoBulls –
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