Courtesy of the AAC
ORLANDO – With the score tied at zero in the bottom of the seventh inning, UCF catcher Samantha McCloskey hit a solo home run off Tulsa pitcher Caitlin Sill and gave the Knights a 1-0 walk-off win over the Hurricane in the American Athletic Conference Softball Championship.
The championship final was a pitcher’s duel with Sill scattering six hits over 6.1 innings. UCF pitcher Shelby Turnier gave up one hit while striking out five and walking two in the complete game win.
McCloskey led the offense for the Knights. The junior had three of the six UCF hits and finished a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate. Maddie Withee had the lone hit for Tulsa (36-18). Both players received all-tournament team honors while McCloskey was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Kahley Novak, Farrah Sullivan, and Maddy Schroeder each chipped in one hit apiece for the Knights (48-7).
The Knights had five total players named to the all-tournament team, including McCloskey, Turnier, Novak, designated player Jessica Ujvari, and pitcher Mackenzie Audas. Sill, right fielder Jodi Edmiston and designated player Jocelyn Sheffield each received all-tournament team honors for the Hurricane in addition to Withee.
UCF will learn its NCAA Tournament seeding on Sunday at 10 p.m. Eastern. The selection show will air live on ESPNU.
2015 American Softball All-Tournament Team
D’Anna Devine, OF, USF
Shelby Miller, P, Houston
Julana Shrum, DP/P, Houston
Jodi Edmiston, RF, Tulsa
Caitlin Sill, P, Tulsa
Jocelyn Sheffield, DP, Tulsa
Maddie Withee, CF, Tulsa
Mackenzie Audas, P, UCF
Kahley Novak, 2B, UCF
Shelby Turnier, P, UCF
Jessica Ujvari, DP, UCF
Samantha McCloskey, C, UCF (Most Outstanding Player)
