STOCKTON, Calif. -- Fresh off competing in the Libby Matson Tournament this past weekend, the Pacific softball team takes on its biggest test this season as the Tigers host UCF on Tuesday, March 8, at Bill Simoni Field.

Pacific had a successful weekend of games, earning three wins during the three-day event. The Tigers swept through the first two contests, tallying a 6-0 shutout victory over Idaho State and a 5-2 win over Seton Hall on the first day of the Libby Matson Tournament. Pitching was the difference-maker for the Tigers in both contests as Bethany Hammer, and Vanessa Strong recorded their best performances this season. 

Hammer was near perfect against the Bengals as she earned the start in the circle for the fourth time this season. Hammer pitched seven strong innings, allowing four hits, and stuck out seven batters. The redshirt senior from Placerville, Calif., earned her first win of the season and recorded her 144th career strikeout. 

Strong took the circle for the sixth time this season and recorded her best outing. The redshirt junior from Oakley, Calif., kept Seton Hall off the board throughout most of the game, not allowing a run until the top half of the sixth inning. Strong finished the game pitching all seven innings, allowing two runs on three hits, and tallied a season-high eight strikeouts.

Emily Budelli has been a key contributor in her first season for the Tigers, recording a .350 batting average. Budelli went hitless in the first two games this past weekend but responded with two multi-hit games, tallying two hits against Idaho State on March 5, and followed with two more hits against Seton Hall on March 6. The freshman from Gilroy, Calif., is second on the team in hits with 21 and leads the team with 10 stolen bases.

UCF comes into the contest on a four-game winning streak and is receiving votes in the most recent USA Today/NFCA Division I Coaches Poll. This season, the Knights have earned two top 15 wins, defeating #12 Georgia to open the 2022 season and #11 Texas on February 19. The program currently sits in second place in the American Athletic Conference, with an overall record of 15-7. The team has scored a total of 132 runs this season, ranking 19th-best in the country in that category. 

The Knights are coached by former Pacific standout Cindy Ball-Malone, returning to Bill Simoni Field for the first time as a head coach. Ball-Malone graduated from Pacific in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in sports sciences and earned her master's in education in 2006. She is considered the greatest two-way player in the program's history, earning back-to-back All-America honors, and holds nine career pitching records for the Tigers.

"It's very special to have her and UCF travel across the country," Head Coach Brian Kolze stated regarding Ball-Malone coming back to Pacific. "She has created an unbelievable coaching legacy, not only at Boise State but at UCF, and we're happy to have her come home."