Jada Cody hit two home runs to left field Friday as No. 16 UCF softball sailed to a 6-0 win over Villanova in Game 2 of the NCAA Orlando Regional.
As Cody caught fire at the plate, UCF ace Gianna Mancha threw her 14th complete game of the season, giving up just 3 hits and 1 walk to the Wildcats (32-23) while striking out 9.
“These two up here are the reason why we’re feeling good and doing well,” said UCF coach Cindy Ball-Malone, standing next to Mancha and Cody at the podium.
After Allyse Volpe and Kennedy Searcy opened the game with singles, Cody homered to left center to give UCF (47-12) a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Volpe doubled in the bottom of the second and Cody sent another ball over the left-field wall to extend UCF’s lead to 5 runs. She became the first UCF player to hit 2 home runs in an NCAA tournament game.
The big hits from Cody helped Mancha and the Knights settle into the game as UCF hosted an NCAA regional for the first time in program history.
“Jada just made a statement early in the game and we took a deep breath,” Ball-Malone said. “We played at the [UCF softball complex] like we normally do so that was great.”
Riding a 5-0 lead through two innings, Mancha allowed only 1 hit after giving up 2 in the top of the first inning.
Mancha’s 9 strikeouts tied a program record for the most in an NCAA tournament game.
“It was awesome to have the defense behind me and the offense hitting,” she said. “Just seeing the girls play behind me, [I was] just trusting my stuff.”
The Knights tacked on a run in the bottom fourth thanks to an RBI double by Searcy scored Volpe from first base. Searcy finished 2-for-4 while Volpe was 3-for-4 at the plate.
UCF will quickly shift focus to Michigan as the two face off Saturday for a spot in the regional final (ESPN2, 11 a.m.).
The Wolverines (37-16) won Game 1 of the Orlando Regional 2-1 over South Dakota State (40-12) earlier Friday.
Michigan and UCF met earlier in the season when the Big Ten squad handed the Knights a 6-0 loss in the St. Pete Elite Invitational in February.
The UCF coach is excited for the rematch.
“They’re a great team,” Ball-Malone said. “But I also think we’re a great team. I like the matchup and it’s going to be great.
“They’re going to see a different team from when we saw them in the second week of our season.”
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