{"id":153099,"date":"2026-05-18T10:13:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:13:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=153099"},"modified":"2026-05-20T20:56:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T00:56:57","slug":"ucf-softball-continues-streak-of-ncaa-tournament-appearances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-softball-continues-streak-of-ncaa-tournament-appearances\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF Softball’s Thrilling Road to NCAA Super Regional"},"content":{"rendered":"

The UCF softball team is making 2026 a season to remember.<\/p>\n

The Knights are heading to the NCAA Super Regional for the first time since 2022 and just the second time in program history thanks to a gutsy performance in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.<\/p>\n

With UCF’s 4-2 victory over No. 9-seeded Florida State on the Seminoles’ home field on Sunday, the Knights will now face UCLA for a chance to advance to the Women’s College World Series for the first time.<\/p>\n

The softball team is the eighth UCF program to compete at an NCAA postseason regional or championship event in 2025-26, joining <\/span>men\u2019s<\/a> and <\/span>women\u2019s soccer<\/a>, indoor track & field, <\/span>men\u2019s basketball,<\/a> <\/span>men\u2019s and women\u2019s tennis<\/a> and <\/span>women’s golf<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Resiliency in NCAA Regional<\/h2>\n

The Knights scored their sixth-consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament and were tabbed as the No. 6 seed in the Tallahassee Regional, kicking off postseason play against Jacksonville State on Friday.<\/p>\n

Down to the last out of the opening game and trailing 1-0, sophomore catcher and health sciences major<\/a> Beth Damon came through with one of the biggest hits of her career, sending in the tying run to force extra innings where UCF ultimately prevailed for a 2-1 walk-off victory.<\/p>\n

After a 10-1 win over Stetson on Saturday, the Knights advanced to championship Sunday against the Seminoles. UCF fell 2-1 to Florida State in the first game, forcing an immediate winner-take-all matchup in the double-elimination tournament.<\/p>\n

After the Seminoles tied game 2 in the top of the fourth, sophomore utility player and pre-integrated business<\/a> major Izzy Mertes responded for the Knights with a two-run home run to give UCF all it needed for the victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took every ounce of us to be able to get to this point, and I\u2019m so proud of the fight that they had,\u201d says head coach Cindy Ball Malone. \u201cIt is very difficult to play here, and I\u2019m so proud of the resilience of our team to stay together and fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

The win, UCF\u2019s first over Florida State since April 6, 2011, represented the sixth over the Seminoles in program history, third over Florida State in Tallahassee, and the Knights\u2019 first in NCAA Tournament play.<\/p>\n