The 8-0 start is the first in the history of program that made its debut in 2002. Five wins to begin a campaign was the previous record set by the 2004 squad.

Turnier’s 15 strikeouts were the fourth time a Knights’ hurler hit that number in a regulation game with standout Allison Kime accomplishing the feat three times in the memorable 2008 season at Bethune-Cookman (4/20/08) and UTEP (4/13/08) and vs. Vermont (3/1/08). The program’s strikeout record is 18 in 12 innings by Kime at Florida State (3/26/07).

Improving to 4-0 in the circle was junior pitcher Mackenzie Audas, who tossed a complete game against the Dukes, who took an early 2-0 lead in the third, with six strikeouts.

The Knights saw Turnier notch her first of two triples and sophomore catcher Kalyn Cenal connect on a double vs. James Madison. Freshman left fielder Linnea Goodman, Cenal and Novak added a pair of base knocks.

Recording a 2-for-2 outing against the Rattlers was sophomore first baseman Samantha McCloskey.

After opening the season with seven home games, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ hits the road on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. showdown with No. 12 Florida State. The competition ramps up more during the weekend with the Knights facing host No. 6 Alabama twice in the Easton Bama Bahs.

The third of four tournaments hosted by Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is set for Feb. 28-Mar. 1 with the Knights returning to the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Softball Complex for a doubleheader vs. SIUE and Princeton at 10 a.m.

The Knights (39-13) fed off the Plant City native as she struck out 11 batters en route to her 21st win of the year. Audas was masterful as she dealt 110 pitches with 81 for strikes while issuing just two walks.

Only three Wildcats (26-26) reached base all game and no runners got beyond second. Audas retired the final 13 hitters of the game and struck out at least one batter in all seven innings. It was the 10th time this season that Audas has racked up double-digit strikeouts in a start.

The performance was the first no hitter thrown by the Knights’ pitching staff this year and the first for the program since Allison Kime on March 25, 2008.

Senior Natalie Land led the game off with a long home run to right-center to give the Audas all the cushion she would need. The long ball was Land’s seventh of the season and fourth to open a game. Land went 3-for-4 with three runs and two stolen bases to increase her batting average to a season-best .341. Land is on a five-game hitting streak and has recorded at least two hits in each of those five games.

The Knights plated insurance runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings. In the second, freshman Kahley hit an infield single and used her speed to force an errant throw into right field that allowed Land to score from second unearned. In the fourth, another Wildcats error, this time off the bat of senior Vanessa Perez, allowed Land to again score unearned to put the Knights up 3-0. Junior Alena Murgatroyd completed the Black and Gold’s scoring with an RBI single to left in the fifth.

The Knights will return to action for their last regular season series of the year on Saturday as they travel to Marshall for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. The series will conclude on Sunday at noon.

Confident after their comeback, the Knights (15-7) easily handled the Hoyas 5-0 in the second game to sweep the two-game series.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ has now won 10 straight games heading into conference play, which begins with a home series this weekend against Tulsa. The Knights and Golden Hurricane will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday and a single game at noon Sunday.

Down 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ rallied and scored two runs to defeat the Hoyas (8-11) 3-2. Freshman Farrah Sullivan (Waynesboro, Miss.) and senior Vanessa Perez (San Diego, Calif.) opened the inning with back-to-back singles. After an out, senior Tawny Swan (Gilbert, Ariz.) smoked a single through the right side that scored Sullivan from second. When the throw to plate went to the backstop, Perez scored from third.

Earlier in the game, Sullivan hit an RBI double in the fourth to cut the Knights’ deficit to one run. Sullivan was 3-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored in the doubleheader. She raised her season batting average to .294 and now has a team-leading 12 RBI.

Freshman Mackenzie Audas (Plant City, Fla.) struggled early, as she allowed two runs on three hits in the first inning. However, Audas settled in nicely and didn’t allow a hit or run through the next six innings en route to her seventh victory of the season. Audas is now 7-4 with a 1.58 ERA and a Conference USA-best 75 strikeouts in 80 innings.

Freshman Hayley Barrow (Miami, Fla.) made her season debut as a pinch hitter for the Black and Gold after missing the first 20 games with an injury. Barrow is the younger sister of former Knights four-year starter Hillary Barrow.

Senior Ali Schmidt (Cordova, Md.) improved to 5-1 on the season as she pitched her first career shutout. Schmidt struck out five and threw the third one-hitter of the season for the Knights. She now has a team-best 1.31 ERA in 11 appearances on the year.

Freshman Kahley Novak (Clermont, Fla.) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Knights. Novak, who began the year as the Knights’ leadoff hitter, has flourished since moving into the two spot in the lineup.

Junior Marissa Menendez (Tampa, Fla.) went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Menendez broke the game open in the fifth inning as she ripped a two-run triple down the right field line that scored Novak from third and junior Danielle Brewer (Apopka, Fla.) all the way from first. Like Sullivan, Menendez was also 3-for-6 during the doubleheader. Menendez leads the Knights with a .348 batting average.

The Knights have 18 home games remaining at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Softball Complex. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ fans can follow all of the action on Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ All-Access with live video and audio. Fans can also follow on the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½Athletics.com Gametracker as well as www.twitter.com/Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½_Softball.

 Friday, Game One – Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ 2, Ohio State 1

Freshman Mackenzie Audas (Plant City, Fla.) earned her first-career win in her first collegiate game after only allowing one earned run on six hits in seven innings to help the Knights earn a 2-1 victory over Ohio State (0-1) in their opening game of the Dot Richardson’s National Collegiate Softball Invitational.

The young hurler was dominant from the onset as she struck out the first batter she faced and five of the first eight she retired. Audas tallied nine strikeouts total and didn’t issue a single walk in the complete game performance as she improved to 1-0 on the season.

Senior Allie Jest (Stone Mountain, Ga.) provided the game-winning RBI in the fifth inning when she dropped a one out opposite-field single into left field. This base hit scored fellow senior Tawny Swan (Gilbert, Ariz.) who was on third base after ripping a triple deep into the right-center field gap.

The Buckeyes were able to get the tying run into scoring position in the bottom of the seventh after a single and a stolen base, but Audas saved her best for last and struck out Buckeyes left fielder Megan Coletta to end the game.

Friday, Game Two – Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ 9, Florida A&M 1 (5 innings)

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ used aggressive base running and timely hitting to defeat Florida A&M 9-1 in five rain-soaked innings in the second game of Friday’s double header at Dot Richardson’s National Collegiate Softball Invitational. The win gave the Knights their first 2-0 start since the 2004 season.

The Knights got five stolen bases from five different players and constantly put the Rattlers’ defense under pressure by taking extra bases at every opportunity. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is a perfect 7-7 in stolen base attempts through two games this season.

The black and gold jumped on FAMU early as Brewer roped a double to left field, advanced to third on senior Natalie Land’s (Mayo, Fla.) infield single, and scored on Menendez’s fielder’s choice to first base. Freshman Farrah Sullivan (Waynesboro, Miss.) then knocked in Land from second with an RBI single up the middle for her first hit of the season. Senior Vanessa Perez (San Diego, Calif.) finished the first inning scoring with a sacrifice fly to stake the Knights to a 3-0 first inning lead.

Senior transfer Ali Schmidt (Cordova, Md.), making her first Division I collegiate start, picked up her first career win after pitching five innings and allowing just three hits and one unearned run. Schmidt attacked hitters early and cruised through the first three innings before slightly struggling with wet conditions that made gripping the ball difficult. Schmidt allowed five base runners in the final two innings, but managed to escape without allowing any additional runs.

With rain bearing down on the field and a steady drizzle ready to turn into a downpour, the Knights quickly finished off the mercy rule victory in the fifth inning as Swan blasted a double into the right-centerfield gap to score Perez from second.

Saturday, Game One – Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ 10, Bethune-Cookman 4

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ slugged out 11 hits and hit three home runs as the bats surged against Bethune-Cookman. Freshman Farrah Sullivan (Waynesboro, Miss.) smashed a three-run home run in the top of the first inning and finished the game 3-4 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. Sullivan and the rest of the Knights carried the team to a dominant 10-4 victory over Bethune-Cookman (0-3) in their third game of the Dot Richardson’s National Collegiate Softball Invitational.

Sullivan had a tremendous weekend for the Knights as the young slugger hit .417 (5-12) and knocked in a team-leading six runs for the Knights in the four games. Sullivan is also leading the black and gold in slugging percentage as well as total bases. Perhaps most surprising, a recruited first baseman, Sullivan also made several strong defensive plays at third base, leading the Knights with nine infield assists in the weekend slate.

Junior transfer Alex Hartshorn (Tampa, Fla.) made her first start of the season and earned her first Division I victory after allowing three earned runs on four hits in four innings. Hartshorn kept the Wildcats limited on the bases by not allowing a single walk. Senior Ali Schmidt (Cordova, Md.) earned her first career save after pitching three scoreless innings in relief.

Saturday, Game Two – Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ 6, Chattanooga 2

Freshman standout Mackenzie Audas (Plant City, Fla.) was once again dominant in her second career start as the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ defeated Chattanooga 6-2 in their fourth and final game of Dot Richardson’s National Collegiate Softball Invitational. The win gave the Knights their second best start in school history, topped only by their 5-0 start in 2004.

Audas pitched her second complete game of the weekend and kept the Mocs both off balance and overmatched with her mix of risers and changeups. Audas struck out 10 batters in seven innings and did not allow a walk for the second consecutive game. The righty has an incredible 19-0 strikeout to walk ratio in her two starts for the Knights.

The Black and Gold will play 30 home games at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Softball Complex, with season tickets for the 2012 season costing only $40. The Knights’ first home game is slated for Feb. 24 against Seton Hall. Tickets are available for purchase online at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½Athletics.com and Ticketmaster.com, or by calling the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Athletics Ticket Office at (407) Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½-1000.