Softball sweeps in Clermont to start season

The UCF softball team went 4-0 over the weekend to start off its season at the National Collegiate Softball Invitational in Clermont. The Knights defeated Ohio State, 2-1; Florida A&M, 9-1, in five innings; Bethune-Cookman, 10-4; and Chattanooga, 6-2.

The perfect start has given UCF the second best start in school history.

"We knew going into this weekend that if we're going to get into good standing to get out to San Diego [for next week's tournament] … we had to get out of this tournament 4-0," head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said.

In the final game of the invitational, Freshman Mackenzie Audas took the mound again and received her second win of the season against Chattanooga.

Audas gave up two runs off eight hits and struck out 10 in seven innings pitched.

"It's a huge confidence booster and allows us to go forward with a positive attitude and a lot of energy," Audas said.

Chattanooga scored first, but the Knights pulled ahead and never looked back en route to a fourth consecutive victory.

In Game Three, facing Bethune-Cookman, the Knights blasted four runs off three hits in the first inning to take the lead.

The Wildcats were able to come back in the second and third innings, scoring four runs, but couldn't stop the Knights' offense.

UCF won its second game of the invitational when it outhit FAMU, 9-3, and scored nine runs in only five innings.

In the first contest, against Ohio State, Audas took the mound for UCF giving up six hits, one run, with one error and struck out nine in seven innings pitched.

The Knights struck first in the bottom of the third when Tawny Swan scored after junior Danielle Brewer reached on an error.

Ohio State fought back, scoring its only run in the top of the fourth.

Swan was once again the talk of the inning when she tripled to right center in the fifth and senior Allie Jest singled to bring in Swan for the winning run of the game.

Ohio State outhit the Knights, 6-3, but UCF found a way to prevail.

Next up, the Knights will head to San Diego, Calif., to play in the San Diego State University Tournament Feb. 17-19 against Washington, UC Davis, UCLA, San Diego State and Oregon State.