April 24, 2009

Box Score

Box Score

For Immediate Release
Contact: Brandon Kolditz
wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475

UCF (23-25, 7-11)      000 000 0  -  0  2  1
Memphis (21-25, 6-13)  101 000 x  -  2  5  0
W: Valle (8-11) L: DeMello (7-8)
HR: MEM- Gross (5)

MEMPHIS - Janelle Valle tossed the first shutout of the season for the University of Memphis softball team in a 2-0 victory over UCF on Friday night at the Tiger Softball Complex.

Valle (8-11) allowed just two hits in the game, a bloop single over first base to the contest's first batter and a double in the fourth inning. The sophomore southpaw struck out six, her second highest total of the season, to earn her team-leading eighth win of the year.

The shutout is the first for Memphis (21-25, 6-13) since Kimber Bossom pitched a one-hit 10-0 blanking of Alcorn State last season.

Kailey Kassner knocked in the game-winning run with a two-out single to right center in the first inning to score Lelani Bernardino from second. Senior Tori Gross added an insurance run with her team-leading fifth home run of the season to left field in the third inning.

The Tigers had five hits in the game off UCF pitcher Kristina DeMello (7-8). Senior Leandra Hines led the team with a 2-for-2 performance.

Leila Dolfo led off the game with a walk. Freshman Lelani Bernardino followed with a sacrifice bunt that resulted in an errant throw by the catcher to allow Bernardino to reach second and Dolfo third. Gross than followed with a pop up deep in the hole at short that doubled up Dolfo. However, Kassner followed with her second game-winning RBI to give Memphis a lead it never relinquished.

Memphis escaped a couple UCF threats in the game. Hillary Barrow hit a one-out double to left center in the fourth inning, but Vanessa Perez lined into a double play to third baseman Maddie McKinley to end the frame.

With the shutout on the line, Perez led off the seventh inning with a walk and with two outs became the first Knight to advance to third in the contest, but Valle struck out Lindsay Dean to end the game.

Memphis and UCF (23-25, 7-11) will continue the three-game conference series on Saturday with a doubleheader at 12 and 2 p.m. The doubleheader is Senior Day for the five Tiger seniors who will be honored approximately 10 minutes before the first game.

Both games can be followed live by CBS College Sports GameTracker. Live video with play-by-play by Andrew Vandeventer is also available to All-Access subscribers. Links to the broadcasts can be found at GoTigersGo.com.