ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – Fueled by the energy of a standing-room only crowd of 787, No. 17 UCF Softball capped off the second day of the season with one of the biggest wins in program history. The Knights topped No. 5 Alabama 8-1 at the UCF Softball Complex. "What a great day with two great wins,” head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said.

“We were not expecting this type of outcome, but I knew that our players were ready to play them [Alabama]. The entire season was set up to have good competition and give ourselves the chance to play these kind of teams at home. We knew coming out that we were ready."

UCF (3-0) opened the day with a 4-1 win over Rutgers. After a short break, the Knights returned to the field against the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide. The Black and Gold jumped on Alabama early, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning and kept the Tide off the scoreboard until the sixth inning in the win. Sophomore Courtney Rotton had a career day going 4-for-4 with five RBI to pace the offense against Alabama.



A nine strikeout performance was tallied by senior Shelby Turnier (2-0) in the victory. The Knights welcomed the Tide for the program’s first Top 25 matchup at the UCF Softball Complex. With the win, UCF earned its first home win over a top five program. UCF entered the game with a 1-2 record against Alabama, with two of the three meetings taking place in Tuscaloosa. The Knights hosted the Tide for the first time, earning the second win over the program with the first coming in a neutral site meeting in Columbus, Ga. The Black and Gold knocked 11 hits in the win, the second time in three games with double-digit hits.

What a Rotten Day. Not.

UCF jumped on Alabama early, scoring a pair of runs in the first and second innings. Courtney Rotton turned in a career performance for the Knights on Friday. She was a perfect 4-for-4 with five RBIs against No. 5 Alabama. Her career-best four hits tied a single-game record. The Clermont, Fla., native went 5-for-6 on the day and drove in six runs. Defensively, she had four assists and a putout.

I wasn't trying to do too much at the plate. I was just trying to get a base hit and do whatever I could to score the runs.

Watch UCF take on UCLA, Arizona, Washington, Texas A&M, and LSU on Mary Nutter LIVE on FloSoftball

Shelby Turnier Down for What

Shelby Turnier went the distance against No. 5 Alabama. After the Tide’s first two batters reached to open the game, she recorded three straight strikeouts to keep the visitor off the scoreboard. The Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., native allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out nine batters.

It was insane. The crowd was there for us. It was a true team effort. We had the pitching, the defense, the hitting, and I think it showed.

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