University of North Florida
UCF
Softball Defeats UCF, 2-0, Behind Radke’s Record Night
2/16/2011 8:06:59 PM | Softball
ORLANDO, Fla. – At the hands of a 2010 NCAA Tournament team, the North Florida softball team (1-5) claimed its first victory of the 2011 season, defeating UCF (1-4) at the UCF Softball Complex, 2-0, on Wednesday night. The Ospreys were led by an outstanding performance by freshman pitcher Cortney Radke who went the distance, tying the school record for strikeouts in a game with 16.
“[Cortney] Radke threw amazing,” Hickey said. “She got herself out of a lot of jams and threw well under pressure. It was a big win behind a great performance from her.”
Radke fanned six straight at one point in seven innings of work, and allowed four hits while walking just one batter. The New Port Richey, Fla., native paced the Ospreys to its first shutout since April 2, 2010 when the squad blanked Belmont, 2-0.
The Ospreys broke through in the pitchers' dual in the final inning on a double to deep right center by junior Chie Someya, scoring senior Caroline Torre all the way from first. Someya advanced to third on the throw to home, which sailed over the catcher's head. Junior Kaley Broskey brought Someya home on a sharp liner back up the middle.
Still in the seventh, the Knights changed pitchers and looked to be out of the inning on a routine groundball, but a throwing error by the second baseman allowed North Florida to put runners on the corners. However, a groundout on the next play stopped the bleeding, but the damage had been done.
“We went out and played really well,” Hickey recalled. “We had a couple mistakes that ended up not biting us. This win gives us some momentum and it's a good win against a good team going into the weekend. Everybody feels really good about where we're at, and that's a really important step after the weekend we just came off of.”
The Ospreys had an opportunity to get on the board first in top of the second inning with runners on first and second with two outs. However, a ground ball to second base and throw to first ended the threat.
UCF attempted to find its way around to the plate in the fourth, starting the inning with runners on second and third. Radke, after allowing her first hit of the game to the first batter in the inning and walking the next, proceeded to sit down the next three on strikes to end the inning.
Again, in the fifth, North Florida had runners on first and second with two outs but was unable to put a run up. Radke returned to the circle in the bottom half of the frame to, again, strike out the side after putting two runners on the bases.
Torre was the highlight of the night from the batters box for the Ospreys, where she went 2-for-2 with one walk and scoring a run.
The Knights' hurler Haley Douglas (0-2) was tagged with her second loss of the year, allowing both runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings in the circle. She struck out four while walking three on the night. The win is North Florida's third win against UCF all-time and first win over the Knights since claiming a 7-5 victory in Orlando on Feb. 11, 2009.
Up next, North Florida travels to Troy, Ala. for the Quality Inn Classic being hosted by Troy University on Feb. 19-20. The Ospreys will face Samford, Central Arkansas, Bradley and host Troy.
