UCF softball charged to a 5-1 start to open the 2026 season, hosting Boston University, CSU Bakersfield, No. 16 Duke, Maryland and Buffalo during the annual Black & Gold Classic.
All five of the Knights’ victories came via the run rule. UCF scored 61 runs over six games while allowing just 15 — the most runs through the first six games in program history and the third-most in the nation.
Sophomore designated hitter Kendall Yarnel delivered a big weekend at the
plate, launching not one but two grand slams and driving in 10 runs while batting .417 with a 1.729 OPS.
Freshman pitcher Ava Stuewe picked up Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors after a strong opening weekend that included three appearances, two of them starts. She didn’t allow a run across 5.2 innings of work, finishing with six strikeouts.
Head coach Cindy Ball-Malone said the offensive outburst from opening weekend reflects just how dynamic this season’s lineup is, with players stepping up when the team needs them most.
“That is a heck of a start,” Ball-Malone said. “It really attributes to all the work that they’ve been putting in over the offseason, off the field and on the field.”
Thursday: Boston University and CSU Bakersfield
An explosive six-run first inning – including Yarnell’s first grand slam of the weekend – powered UCF to a 13-0 victory over Boston University on Thursday afternoon to move the Knights 1-0 on the season.
UCF scored 12 of its 13 runs in the first and fourth innings, with seven recorded hits and six recorded RBIs in the Knights’ dominant showing. The game ended after five innings when Boston was run-ruled under the Division I eight-run rule.
Stuewe threw a gem against the Terriers, only giving up one hit across four shutout innings to secure her first win of the season. Freshman pitcher Reagan Vokoun relieved Stuewe, closing out the fifth inning and collecting a strikeout in the process.
Two first-inning home runs for the Knights — a three-run blast from sophomore utility player Izzy Mertes followed by a solo shot from junior infielder Sierra Humphreys — gave UCF a 4–0 lead in Thursday’s second game against CSU Bakersfield.
The Knights capitalized on CSU Bakersfield’s errors in the third and fourth innings, when the rest of their runs scored. UCF carried a 10-0 lead into the fifth, putting the Roadrunners in a must-score situation to avoid the run rule.
Freshman pitcher Tori Payne was lights out for the Black and Gold, pitching three innings and giving up zero hits. Freshman pitcher Hildie Dempsey relieved her and closed out the last two innings. The two combined for a one-hit shutout.
Friday: No. 16 Duke
The Knights suffered their first loss of the season Friday evening, falling 5-2 to No. 16 Duke. UCF was unable to recover after the Blue Devils seized momentum in the middle innings.
UCF struck first on a two-RBI double from Humphreys, who drove in senior infielders Aubrey Evans and Ashleigh Griffin after the pair drew back-to-back walks. Duke answered in the second inning with a solo home run from catcher Kairi Rodriguez before taking the lead in the third with three additional runs.
Blue Devils’ pitching held UCF scoreless the rest of the game, preventing the Black and Gold from mounting a comeback. The Knights’ ace, redshirt sophomore pitcher Isabella Vega, received her first loss of the season, giving up four earned runs in 2.1 innings pitched.
Saturday: Maryland
After being held to just two runs on Friday night against No. 16 Duke, UCF’s bats erupted for a nine-run rally in the fourth inning on Saturday to earn a 15-7 run-rule win over Maryland. Yarnell drove in four of those runs, recording her second grand slam of the Black & Gold Classic.
Six recorded RBIs for UCF in the contest, while two additional Knights homered. Evans hit a two-run shot in the first inning, and sophomore catcher Beth Damon added her own two-run homer in the third.
Only three of the seven runs were earned between Stuewe, Dempsey and senior pitcher Lena Elkins because of fielding errors. Vega closed for the Knights and bounced back from Friday’s game, recording four strikeouts across 1.2 innings of relief to earn her first win of the season.
Sunday: Buffalo and Maryland
Sunday’s affairs kicked off with a 12-2 victory for the Knights over Maryland, with UCF scoring all of its runs in the first three innings. Eight hits and 10 RBIs powered the Knights to their fourth run-rule win of the weekend.
Evans led the Black and Gold with a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3 and scoring three runs for her team. The Knights’ offense was relentless overall, striking out only twice in 21 total at-bats, a testament to their disciplined approach and ability to consistently put the ball in play.
Payne allowed two earned runs to Maryland — one in the first and one in the second. Dempsey and senior pitcher Katelyn Cochran were dominant in relief roles, combining for just two hits over three innings to shut the Terrapins out.
A six-run second inning propelled UCF to a 9-1 victory over Maryland, capping the Knights’ 5-1 weekend and marking all five wins as run-rule victories. Twelve hits and nine runs kept the pressure on Maryland throughout the game.
Mertes homered twice in the game — a two-run shot in the first inning followed by a grand slam in the second — bringing her total to three for the weekend. She finished the Black & Gold Classic with 12 RBIs, batting .267 with a 1.354 OPS.
The Knights rest up before playing Missouri at the UCF Softball Complex on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
