In a tie game in the top of the third inning, Tulsa was searching for any kind of momentum it could take from UCF.
The conference rivals — two of the three teams many figured would be the class of the American Athletic Conference and likely to make the NCAA Softball Tournament when the time came — had battled to something of a lopsided series to that point. UCF was up 2-0 in the series and looking to make a sweep, erasing an early 1-0 deficit.
Momentum would be precious for the Golden Hurricane. And it would be taken away quickly.
A bloop hit to shallow right field brought in junior Willow Kalinen who dove to the turf and picked the ball before it hit the ground. That ended the inning and any chance for Tulsa to crack relief pitcher Jamie Ujvari or the Knights’ defense. It was one of several defensive plays that highlighted that series sweep that Sunday.
“That’s just what she does,” UCF coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said after that game on April 10. “She goes all out with everything that she has. When Willow goes out there, she is going to lay out for everything she can get. A fantastic catch to close out that inning for us.”
Tulsa’s powerhouse offense could not stand up to Kalinen’s or Jasmine Acevedo’s work in the outfield. Or Courtney Rotton’s work at third base — a tough position considering softball’s short base lines. Or Brittany Solis’ work at shortstop. Or Calyn Cenal’s work at first base. Or even catcher Autumn Gillespie’s arm picking off runners like she was earlier in the season.
The Knights when they are rolling get the strong pitching from Shelby Turnier, but they also make a ton of plays around the diamond, limiting baserunners and putting pressure on hitters to make plays and put it somewhere the defense cannot get to it.
The defense for UCF has been one of its biggest attributes and assets as the team has climbed back into top-25 after a weekend series win against USF.
It is something that gives the pitching staff confidence to go out and pitch as the defense often helps cover mistakes.
“[The defense gives us] tremendous amount of confidence,” Jamie Ujvari said. “We focus on diving out every time, giving 100 percent. That’s our motto, giving 100 percent each and every play. We go by pitch by pitch. It’s a great time out there when the defense is working hard as well.”
On the season, UCF has committed 34 errors in 51 games, posting a 97.6 percent fielding percentage. That fielding percentage leads the American Athletic Conference and the 34 errors are the fewest in the conference by 12.
The Knights are tied for the fifth best fielding percentage nationally.
This is a team that makes few defensive errors. If the ball is in play with a chance for an out, the odds are UCF is going to deliver.
And with an offense that relies heavily on stringing hits together, keeping the opponent’s runs low is a big reason why UCF has surged to the top of the conference yet again — only losing the conference crown because of a pair of canceled games in Connecticut early in the season.
“Our defense keeps us in a lot of games,” Courtney Rotton said. “If we’re not hitting, our defense is what is going to keep us in the game. Our pitchers do a great job getting ahead early on. Batters sometimes hit the ball, but they trust in us to make good plays.”
That trust is what keeps everyone loose for the Knights, it would appear.
Turnier has had a strong year, but has had her struggles too. She is 17-15 on the season with a 2.40 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. All those numbers are up from last year. Still the Knights are contending again. It has helped to have pitching support from Ujvari and Manami Calixto.
But the defensive support helps too. And as the postseason approaches, a dialed-in Turnier along with the strong defensive effort behind her should make the Knights favorites to win the American Athletic Conference Softball Tournament and, perhaps, a team that could make some noise once the NCAA tournament begins.
