The Los Angeles Lakers had their battles with the Boston Celtics.
The Chicago Bulls faced off against the Detroit Pistons.
The Boston Red Sox struggled against the New York Yankees.
All of these professional sports franchises have faced intense rivalries during postseason runs before ultimately overcoming them.
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UCF softball experienced a similar struggle against Florida State, losing seven consecutive NCAA Tournament games before finally breaking through on Sunday.
The Knights upset the No. 9 Seminoles, 4-2 in Game 7 of the Tallahassee Regional, advancing to the Super Regional for just the second time in program history.
Sixth-seeded UCF (41-17-1) will travel to Los Angeles to face second-seeded UCLA (50-8) in the double-elimination series beginning on Friday.
The emotions of the moment were clearly on the surface for coach Cindy Ball-Malone.
“This will be our second trip to Super Regionals,” said Ball-Malone. “We played this game for us for sure, but this is for every Knight that has ever worn a jersey. We broke through, we pushed through, we disrupted the norm and that’s what we’ve been saying that we were going to do, so we knew we had everyone behind us.”
Catcher Beth Damon and left fielder Izzy Mertes powered UCF past the Seminoles with a pair of 2-run home runs. Damon’s blast set the tone in the first inning, while Mertes’ shot helped the Knights retake the lead in the fourth inning.
Freshman pitcher Tori Payne (4-0) allowed one run on four hits through six innings on her way to the win.
“I pitched like we had nothing left to lose,” said Payne, who made her second start of the regionals on Sunday. “I’m willing to give everything and more for this team. I’m willing to do what I can to help us push forward.”
After a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Jacksonville State in the opener on Friday, UCF cruised into Sunday’s finals with an impressive 10-1 win over Stetson on Saturday. The Hatters stunned FSU in the opener, 8-3, sending the Seminoles into the elimination bracket.
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Florida State eliminated JSU (11-0) and Stetson (11-3) on Saturday, setting up a familiar matchup for the finals.
FSU forced a Game 7 with a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Knights.
“They’re a tough team to beat, so we knew it would be down to the wire,” Payne said of the message after the early loss. “We have to play our best game and they’re also going to have to play ours, so just going out there and giving it all we have.”
After Damon’s 2-run homer in the first, FSU scored its first run of the game on an RBI single by catcher Anne Hinde in the third inning. A few plays later, Hinde was called out after leaving second base early, erasing three runs off the scoreboard for the Seminoles.
Mertes’ homer in the fourth inning provided the Knights with a 4-2 advantage.
Reliever Lena Elkins and Reagan Vokoun combined to shut down Florida State in the final inning.
“I will say our mindset going into this regional was anything could happen, we just have to stick together and it’s going to be what it’s going to be,” said Mertes.
Ball-Malone talked about the emotions she felt, particularly leading into Sunday’s finals.
“I was on the treadmill, getting it all out, crying, screaming, yelling because I knew that this moment was for everybody that wore this jersey, and we played for the past, present, and future. It’s still just an idea, but these women paved the way and put it out there. I’m just so incredibly proud of them; they’re building history and we’re not done yet.”
Up next …
UCF (41-17-1) at UCLA (51-7)
When: 9 p.m., Friday; 9 p.m., Saturday; Sunday, if necessary
Where: Easton Stadium, Los Angeles
TV: ESPNU (Friday), ESPN (Saturday)
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: [email protected]. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
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