ORLANDO, Fla. — BYU softball rallied to take UCF into extras, but ultimately fell in game three of the series, 5-4 at the UCF Softball Complex on Saturday afternoon.
After trailing by two through the first four innings, the Cougars (21-16, 4-11 Big 12) took a one-run lead in the fifth and the sixth, but the Knights scored the final two runs of the game to take the series.
Player Highlights
- Huntyr Ava: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
- Lily Owens: 1-3, 2B, RBI
UCF got two runners one with no outs in the second, plating two on a sacrifice fly and single into right to take a 2-0 lead.
BYU loaded the bases in the fourth inning, but two consecutive outs squandered the opportunity, leaving three of the Cougars’ 12 runners left on base stranded in the frame.
Finally breaking through in the fifth inning, Violet Zavodnik singled to right before Huntyr Ava homered down the left field line on the first pitch she saw, a shot that ricocheted off the foul pole. Lily Owens doubled on the opening pitch of her at bat, and came around to score after a sacrifice bunt and groundout, giving BYU a 3-2 lead.
Two singles and a stolen base in the home half of the fifth allowed the Knights to knot the game up at 3-3.
The Cougars responded in the top of the sixth, loading the bases again with Maddie Bejarano, Zavodnik and Ava all reaching base safely. Owens brought Bejarano home on a sacrifice fly to give BYU a 4-3 advantage, but a strikeout the next at-bat left the bases loaded.
UCF got two walks and a single in the bottom of the seventh, tying the game after scoring one run to send the game into extra innings.
After the Cougar side was retired on ground outs in the top of the eighth inning, UCF took three just three pitches to double into left center and down the right field line, walking it off to secure the series sweep.
On Deck
The Cougars will return to the state of Utah to visit Utah Valley on Tuesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. MDT. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.