“I give this award to my teammates, because I would not be in this position without their support,” Sullivan said. “Playing well in conference play was my goal because those games are the important ones. I feel like it was great to be on base all the time and doing what I have to do to help us put runs on the board.”

Sullivan was also named to The American first team along with sophomore pitcher Shelby Turnier, while junior pitcher Mackenzie Audas, sophomore designated player Jessica Ujvari and freshman outfielder Linnea Goodman earned second team honors.

Sullivan’s player of the year honor was the first for the Knights’ program since Stephanie Best won three-straight Atlantic Sun awards from 2003-05. The Waynesboro, Miss., native compiled a .522 avg. during league play with 24 hits, 19 RBI, seven doubles and two homers.

“It just shows that when Farrah [Sullivan] puts her mind to something and is really focused, she is just unstoppable,” head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. “She has been improving all season long. The coaches of the conference recognized that and saw what she has given, not only to our program, but the American Athletic Conference. It just says a lot about the type of person and player she is.”

One of ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s EVERDAY CHAMPIONS overcame a 2-for-42 stretch early in the season to finish with a .321 avg. with three homers and paced the team in RBI (31) and doubles (13). The Knights three-hole hitter has compiled a .418 on-base and .482 slugging pct.

Head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie along with assistant coaches Ruben Felix and Hillary Barrow used the long season to help the Knights young team progress into the regular season champion.

“Once the team bought into that we have to play as a team and fight for each other, we really saw a difference in the focus of our student-athletes,” Gillispie said. “We went from playing one-run games to posting seven runs on the board. That progress is what I am proud of. Our coaching staff did a great job of putting our players in a position to be successful.”

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½, who was picked to finish fourth in the league’s preseason poll, has an upper class that contains just four juniors and not a single senior. The Knights registered a 39-15 overall record and 15-3 conference mark, which included series victories over each conference foe they played (Temple series was cancelled due to rain).

This was the first time that Coach Gillispie received an individual postseason accolade since being named the 1992 N4C Conference Coach of the Year guiding Joliet (Ill.) Junior College.

Coach Felix took an offense that was batting .208 following the first 10 games and steadily raised the team’s average during the campaign by mentoring the hitters to a current .275. Coach Barrow, who won the 2008 C-USA Tournament as a player for the Knights, adds another pair of accomplishments with the program with a regular season title and coaching honor.

Joining Sullivan on the first team was Turnier, who paced the league with a 1.16 ERA and tallied 53 strikeouts in 48.1 innings of work. The Palm Beach Gardens native had a 6-2 league mark, while going 18-5 overall, fanning 193 in 144.0 frames and compiled a 1.26 ERA, ranking 13th nationally.

Turnier along with Audas, who was named to the league’s second team, were a big reason for the Knights posting the eighth-best ERA in the nation at 1.59. The pair combined for 380 of the team 434 strikeouts, which is second in the nation behind conference-rival USF.

Audas went 7-1 in league action with 49 strikeouts in 58 frames. The Plant City native picked up series-clinching wins over USF and Louisville. She tallied a 17-10 overall mark with 187 punchouts in 174.0 innings.

One of the Knights most consistent players was Goodman, who compiled a .313 avg. with 51 hits. The Long Beach, Calif., native drove in 14 runs. She increased her batting avg. in conference games to .362 and came around to score nine times.

Solidifying the middle of the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ lineup was Je. Ujvari. The Pensacola native blasted five home runs on the season including grand slams in the Knights wins over Boston College and Louisville. She recorded a .333 avg. and finished second on the team with 23 RBI.

2014 American Athletic Conference Softball Awards

Player of the Year

Pitcher of the Year

Rookie of the Year

Coaching Staff of the Year

All-Conference First Team

All-Conference Second Team

The no-hitter is the 11th in program history and Audas has now been involved in three of them. Audas (8-8) tallied 11 strikeouts in six shutout innings, while Huhn tossed the seventh and sent down one batter on strikes.

A total of 19 players made an appearance for the Knights against Iona (2-11), which saw sophomore left fielder Brittanne Gasser connect on a two-run homer to put the Knights up 7-0 in the sixth. It was the first career round tripper for the Sterling, Va., native.

The Knights open American Athletic Conference play on Saturday with a doubleheader against Memphis at 1 p.m. It will be The Jedi Knights day at the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Softball Complex where fans are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Star Wars character.

A combined no-hitter was notched by Audas and Huhn in the 7-2 victory over Iona. The big hit for the Knights came from Gasser, who notched her first career home run, while ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ stole nine bases, one off the program record of 10 set vs. Penn last year.

After Sullivan notched a two-out single in the first inning, sophomore outfielder Mariah Garcia began the second with a base knock down the right field line. She swiped second and eventually scored on an RBI groundout by Solis.

The Knights pushed across two runs without a hit in the third to take a 3-0 advantage. A walk drawn by sophomore outfielder Taylor Wagner and quick steal of second allowed her to score on an errant throw sac bunt by junior outfielder Kahley Novak. The second error in the inning enabled Novak to cross the plate.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ tacked on two more runs in the fourth on an infield base hit by Novak with the bases loaded and single to left by Goodwin to extend the lead to 5-0.

Following a single by freshman pinch hitter Blaire Kelley, Gasser connected on the round tripper to left that put the Knights up 7-0 in the sixth.

The Gaels took advantage of a pair of walks, three wild pitches and an error to push across two runs in the seventh.

Jordan Courage for the Gaels started and fell to 0-4 on the season with two strikeouts in a pair of innings. Carly Argyle and Sarah McMahon each saw action for Iona.

In the milestone performance, the Palm Beach Gardens native sent down the final eight batters on strikes, which included five looking. She yielded just one hit in the contest against the Falcons.

Turnier started the week off with a 4-2 triumph over Jacksonville, where she totaled 11 strikeouts. After giving up a homer to surrender the lead, she bounced back and put the Knights back on top, 3-2, with a two-run triple in the fifth.

A combined shutout with sophomore Jamie Ujvari, who notched a save in the seventh, was the highlight against Penn. Turnier was credited with 11 strikeouts during the four hitter.

Turnier improved her record to 9-1 on the year with a 1.37 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 66.1 frames.

The Palm Beach Gardens native became the Knights second pitcher of the week with junior Mackenzie Audas taking the inaugural award following the first weekend out on Feb. 10.

Game Additions

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ announced additions to its home schedule including No. 1 Florida on March 26 and Stetson on April 22. Both contests at the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Softball Complex are set to start at 6 p.m. with the game against the Gators set for premium pricing ($2 more). These tickets are set to be mailed to season ticket holders this week and additional tickets can be purchase by clicking here.

The Knights have also added a mid-week matchup at Stetson on April 9 with the first pitch at 6 p.m.

Five-Game Week

With a bye weekend to open American play, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ is set to play five mid-week games at the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Softball Complex starting on Tuesday at 5 p.m. against Southern Illinois (9-10).

The Knights host a trio of contests on Wednesday beginning with Florida Atlantic (17-11) and Yale (1-2) at 1 p.m. A doubleheader for ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ starts at 3:30 p.m. against the Owls and Bulldogs.

No. 21 Notre Dame (17-4) and FIU (16-7) are set to face each other on Thursday at 1 p.m. The Knights battle the Panthers at 3:30 p.m. before taking on the Fighting Irish at 6 p.m.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ has won its last seven games to push its mark to 16-7 on the campaign. The squad has posted six shutouts, including three last week.

Junior Mackenzie Audas has won her last three games, yielding just one unearned run during the stretch and fanning 20 batters in 18.2 frames. The Plant City native was tabbed to the American Honor Roll following her impressive week.

The emergence of sophomore designated player Jessica Ujvari has solidified the middle of the Knights lineup. She connected on a pinch-hit grand slam vs. Boston College and drove in six runs for ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½, including the game winner vs. Bowling Green.

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, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ 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 ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ is set for Feb. 28-Mar. 1 with the Knights returning to the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ 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.

The Central Florida Future sports staff compiled a list using a variety of criteria, including impact on and off the field, career achievements, success of the program and buzz and exposure created for the school.

While things seemed pretty clear at the top of the list, it got a bit complicated as we neared the bottom, so included at the end is a β€œfirst four out,” which lists a few other deserving Knights.

Here are the Future’s top 10 most valuable Knights:

1. Octavious Freeman, sprinter, track & field β€” This isn’t even a question. Freeman may very well be the fastest woman on the planet (her 11.10 in the 100 meters in Gainesville is the fastest time for a woman in the event this year, professional or amateur), or at least among them. Freeman came to campus as arguably the most sought-after recruit ever to choose the black and gold. Most importantly, a likely future Olympian, perhaps even a gold-medalist, is a ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Knight.
2. D.J. Hicks, first baseman, baseball β€” He’s the guy carrying the big stick for the resident top-15 baseball team. Hicks was voted the preseason Conference USA Player of the Year and a preseason All American, and he’s delivered. He’s done it in ways outside of just sending the ball over the fence. Hicks is batting .329 with a team-leading 55 RBIs (Chris Taladay comes in second with 30). Hicks provides a lot of the excitement to be had at Jay Bergman Field, leading the team with 10 home runs. In short, Hicks is the face of a program that may be contending for a national championship in Omaha, Neb., this summer.
3. Mackenzie Audas, pitcher, softball β€” In a sport where a pitcher can dominate and take the mound nearly every game, there truly is nothing more valuable than an ace. The Knights have theirs. The freshman has come in and in a flash become the face of the program, posting shutout after shutout, including this biggest win of the season, a 2-0 victory over the then-No. 3 Florida Gators at the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Softball Complex. What’s more? She’s going to be rocking the black and gold for three more years.
4. Keith Clanton, forward, men’s basketball β€” He’s Mr. Reliable for a program that is on an upward trend and has embraced increasing expectations. Clanton is one of the few players who can quietly register a double-double, racking up rebounds and often scoring at ease in the paint or on the perimeter. Clanton led the Knights, averaging 14.5 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game, and perhaps most importantly hit the go-ahead free throw with just seconds remaining in ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s historic win over Memphis.
5. Kevan George, midfielder, men’s soccer β€” The 29th pick in the this year’s MLS SuperDraft, selected by Columbus Crew, was an integral part of a loaded men’s soccer team that took the program to new heights in 2011. George led the team in assists (7) and had two game-winning goals to his credit in 2011, one of which game in the first round of the NCAA Championship against Florida Gulf Coast.
6. Isaiah Sykes, guard/forward, men’s basketball β€” Sykes was easily the most improved player on the roster this season and made a strong case for most improved player in the nation. The sophomore from Detroit continued doing the things he did well as a freshman: rebounding, defending and grabbing loose balls. But in the 2011-12 season he started scoring. A lot. Sykes averaged 12.3 points per game and had a few 20-point efforts to his name. Sykes got more confident in his jump shot as the season went on and, of course, delivered more than a few SportsCenter-worthy highlights.
7. Josh Robinson, defensive back, football β€” The Knights’ defensive backfield took a blow when this junior defender declared for the NFL Draft. Then, the program enjoyed some exposure when Robinson made a huge splash at the NFL Combine. Robinson’s 4.33-second time in the 40-yard dash was the fastest of any athlete at any position at the Combine. Accordingly, Robinson, who came to the program as a four-star recruit out of high school, saw his stock shoot upward. Any time a Knight goes in the earlier rounds of the Draft, it’s a victory for everybody.
8. Tishia Jewell, forward, women’s soccer β€” The 5-foot-6 senior out of Satellite Beach was an integral part of a women’s soccer program that ranked among the top in the nation. Jewell finished 2011 as a Third Team All-American and a C-USA First Team honoree. Jewell dished out 10 assists, putting her at No. 24 nationally, and scored seven goals. On a program that has been consistently good for quite some time, Jewell shined this year, scoring two game-winning goals.
9. Jackie Coward, sprinter, track & field β€” She is the most accomplished athlete in the program’s history, and Coward is also the commitment that started it all. Coward was the first All-American to come to ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ and join coach Caryl Smith Gilbert in her vision of what the program could become. Speedsters like Freeman and Aurieyall Scott may not have selected ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ out of high school had it not been for Coward. The senior sprinter will be chasing Olympic dreams at the U.S. Trials this summer.
10. Alex Friedrich, right fielder, baseball β€” It’s probably the best sports story on campus. Friedrich, who graduated from nearby University High School, had no major college offers despite his stellar high school career. Undaunted, Friedrich came to ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ and walked on with the program, no small achievement. But he wasn’t done. Friedrich gradually earned more and more playing time, and now the senior right fielder who came to campus without a scholarship offer is one of the top hitters on one of the top baseball teams in the country. Friedrich is batting .351 and also has quite the arm in the outfield with five assists this season.

Just missed out:

The Knights’ ace became just the second pitcher in school history to earn Pitcher of the Week honors three times in one season and the first to do it back-to-back weeks. She struck out 33 batters in 21.2 innings and allowed just seven hits for the week.

Audas opened her week with a dazzling two-hit, 11 strikeout performance against Florida. The Gators came into the game ranked in the top 20 in the nation in batting average, slugging percentage and runs per game, but only managed two singles against Audas.

On Saturday, Audas made a relief appearance and a start at UAB. In game one, Audas stepped in relief with the bases loaded and one out and got a pop up and strikeout to end the Blazers’ threat. Later that day in game two, she pitched a complete game and took a loss despite allowing just four hits and striking out 11.

Audas followed up that performance the next day with another stellar outing as she picked up her seventh conference shutout of the season. The young hurler took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finished up with eight innings and just one hit allowed while striking out 10 as the Knights won by 1-0.

Audas has been arguably the most dominant pitcher in C-USA this season as she has a 17-6 record and leads the conference with a 1.06 ERA. She has only allowed 96 hits in 165.2 innings and has recorded a league-high 202 strikeouts while holding opponents hitters to a conference-low .166 batting average.

This is the fourth C-USA Softball Pitcher of the Week award for the Knights this season. Senior Ali Schmidt won the award on Feb. 27 and Audas took home the award on March 19 and April 9.

Audas and the Knights will return to action Wednesday when ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ hosts Bethune-Cookman at 5:30 p.m. at the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Softball Complex.

And minutes after the calm and cool standout pitcher authored a dazzling two-hit, 11-strikeout shutout in ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s historic 2-0 defeat of the No. 3 Gators, Audas uttered what might go down as the understatement of the season.

“This is kind of a big deal,” said Audas, who has evolved into arguably the best freshman pitcher in the country.

Freshman , ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s hottest hitter the past three weeks, doubled in two runs in the first inning and Audas did the rest as ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ (30-10) beat Florida (34-5) for the first time ever in Orlando. The Knights’ 10th straight victory this season was their third in school history against the Gators and their first since May 18, 2008, in the NCAA Tournament.

A crowd of 747 fans – the second-largest in school history – packed the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Softball Complex and was loud from the first pitch. The grounds crew also rolled up two outfield wind screens, allowing a couple hundred more fans to watch the game and add to the electric atmosphere.

“The crowd was amazing. It felt like a football game,” Sullivan said. “Words can’t describe the feeling of this. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

After blanking the third-ranked Gators, the surging Knights have bettered their chances of cracking the top 25 and getting back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.

“It’s our first home win against Florida, and that’s big,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach said. “Mac (Audas) had a great game, catcher Hayley (Barrow) did a great job calling the game, and we made the plays and got the hits that we needed. It was a one-hit difference in the game, but thankfully it was our turn after 10 years of playing them here.”

The unquestioned star of the night was Audas, the 5-foot-5 right-hander from Plant City who dominated a Florida program that never recruited her. Audas (16-5), who entered the game with the lowest ERA in the country for a freshman, tossed her eighth shutout of the season. Her 11-strikeout performance was the sixth time that she had a double-digit strikeout game.

“She’s had some ups and downs and we’ve talked about how it has to be one pitch at a time and she had to focus on each batter as a separate situation and go hard at them,” Luers-Gillispie said. “I told her that she will always have to tools to strike anybody out. She worked hard on focusing on one pitch at a time. And she didn’t have those ups and downs and stayed very steady.”

A true sign of Audas’ razor-sharp focus on Wednesday night was her ability to summon big pitches in key situations. Six Florida batters reached a full count against Audas, but she struck out three of them and none got hits. The two hits in the game were a line drive to center in the third inning and a bunt single in the sixth.

“In the first inning, it’s Florida and they’re ranked, and I was nervous,” Audas admitted. “I faced UCLA and Washington early in the year, but this was Florida. I was pretty nervous early, but I settled down. I knew I couldn’t give a team like this free bases. So I just kept trying to go right at them all night.”

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ finished with just three hits against Florida’s Hannah Rogers (20-3), but the biggest one of the night came in the first inning in a clutch situation. Sullivan doubled down the left-field line to score two runners and put the Knights up 2-0. Senior shortstop started the rally by beating out an infield hit and stealing second. Then, after walked, Sullivan stroked a fastball down the line that got all the way to the wall.

The clutch double was just the latest big hit for Sullivan, who almost single-handedly destroyed UTEP in a three-game sweep last weekend in West Texas. Sullivan had three home runs, two doubles and nine RBI last Friday in a double-header sweep for the Knights.

Wednesday night’s double will go down as one of the most important hits in school history.

“It was an inside pitch, and I had two strikes on me. I feel like that relaxed me. I just saw the ball and hit it,” said Sullivan, a Waynesboro, Miss., native who leads the team in home runs (five), doubles (nine) and RBI (29). “I knew if we got a head start on them that Mackenzie would take care of them. I knew if we got some runs she would come through and take care of business.”

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s medal winners represent ten sports programs. The women’s rowing team led the way with six student-athletes, followed closely by the women’s soccer and softball teams with five each.

At least 32 Knights have earned medals during three of the last four years.

“Achieving a GPA of 3.75 or higher is a tremendous accomplishment for our student-athletes, who work hard in their classes while balancing the rigorous demands of their sports,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury. “The fact that so many of our student-athletes have earned academic recognitions from Conference USA is a testament to their determination and the support of our dedicated faculty members, coaches and academic advisors.”

C-USA announced its academic honor roll (3.0 GPA or better) Tuesday, and 221 Knights were on the list. That total ranked second among all C-USA schools and first among the league’s public institutions.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s student-athletes have collectively achieved a GPA of at least 3.0 for each of the last eight semesters.

In October, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ posted a program-best 83 percent Graduation Success Rate, which tied with the University of Florida for the top rating among Florida’s public universities.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s academic medal winners are listed below in alphabetical order by sport:

Football: Jacob Bundy (Business Economics) andΒ Β (Social Science Education master’s program)

Men’s Golf: Μύ(΅ώ³ά²υΎ±²Τ±π²υ²υ-±θ±π²Τ»εΎ±²Τ²΅)

Women’s Rowing: Jesse Baldwin (Communication Science and Disorders), (Finance), (Elementary Education with a Coaching minor), Kelsey McCreary (Cinema Studies), Beatriz Merino (Pre-Clinical Allied Health with a Spanish minor) andΒ Β (Sport and Exercise Science/Psychology)

Men’s Soccer: Augusto Braccialli (Civil Engineering), (Psychology), (Molecular and Microbiology) and Μύ(±Κ²υ²β³¦³σ΄Η±τ΄Η²΅²β)

Women’s Soccer: (Biomedical Sciences), (Public Administration/Nonprofit Management), (Psychology), (Biology) andΒ Β (Communication Sciences and Disorders)

Softball: (Early Childhood Education), (Hospitality Management), (Elementary Education), (΅ώΎ±΄Η±τ΄Η²΅²β)Μύ²Ή²Τ»ε Β (Mathematics Education)

Men’s Tennis: (Finance-pending) and Β (Interdisciplinary Studies with a Math minor)

Women’s Tennis: Β (Communication Sciences and Disorders)

Track and Field: (Undeclared), (Athletic Training), (Elementary Education)Β and Μύ(±Κ³σΎ±±τ΄Η²υ΄Η±θ³σ²β)

Volleyball: (Marketing) andΒ  (Molecular Biology and Microbology)

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

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ 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, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ 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 ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Softball Complex. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ fans can follow all of the action on ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ All-Access with live video and audio. Fans can also follow on the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½Athletics.com Gametracker as well as www.twitter.com/ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½_Softball.