Beth Damon trusts UCF’s preparation, pitchers entering UCLA Super Regional
Beth Damon had already been through the emotional swing once on Sunday.
UCF had dropped a tight 2-1 game to Florida State in the first matchup of the Tallahassee Regional final, forcing the Knights into a winner-take-all rematch with the No. 9 overall seed Seminoles later that day.
But Damon said there was never a moment when she felt UCF’s season was slipping away.
“I would say it was definitely a roller coaster,” Damon said. “But after that first game, the loss, there was no doubt in my mind that we were going to come out and beat Florida State. I think we just had the confidence, and I think Tori really exuded that. She set the tone for us.”
Freshman Tori Payne delivered six innings of one-run ball in the regional-clinching win. Damon supplied the first big swing, launching a two-run home run in the first inning to put UCF in front. Izzy Mertes later followed with a two-run homer of her own, helping the Knights beat Florida State 4-2 and advance to the second NCAA Super Regional in program history.
For Damon, UCF’s sophomore catcher from Edmond, Okla., the moment was the reward for a season built on toughness and trust.
“It means the world,” Damon said. “We worked all year. We were really battle tested throughout the year, so just doing that with my teammates, it’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing softball up until this point in my life.
“I’m just super proud of our teammates. People stepped up in big moments like Tori and Kalista (Birkenstock). It was just awesome.”
‘Trusting the plan’ has fueled Damon’s breakout
Damon’s first-inning homer against Florida State continued what has been a breakout offensive season.
She enters the NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional with 16 home runs, tied for the third-most in a single season in UCF history and the most by a Knight since Stephanie Best hit 16 in 2004. Damon, who was named second-team All-Big 12, has become one of the key bats in a UCF lineup that has hit a program-record 71 home runs.
Asked what has worked for her at the plate, Damon pointed first to preparation and trust.
“I think it’s just sticking to the plan more and not getting in my own way,” Damon said. “That’s something I struggled with last year. Just being confident in the approach and knowing that I can do it.
“Coach Noah (Sanders) and Coach Bear have practiced all year, so just falling back on that. We always talk about how you fall back on your preparation, so just knowing I put in the work and trusting the plan has really helped.”
Damon said the best part of her home run against Florida State was not the swing itself. It was what came after.
“The home run is great, but my favorite part is just getting to celebrate with my teammates,” Damon said. “I don’t really think about much when I swing, but coming home and seeing their faces and getting to celebrate with them is the best part.”
Behind the plate, Damon trusts UCF’s arms
Damon’s next assignment is about as difficult as it gets.
UCF faces No. 8 seed UCLA in a best-of-three Super Regional beginning Friday night at Easton Stadium. The Bruins are 50-8 and bring one of the most explosive lineups in NCAA softball history, with a national-record 193 home runs and 10.83 runs per game.
Senior Megan Grant has hit an NCAA single-season record 40 home runs, while Jordan Woolery has added 34 more.
Damon, though, has spent all year catching a UCF pitching staff that has found ways to win in different forms. She said she has full confidence that the Knights can handle the challenge.
“I think they can take on any lineup in the nation,” Damon said. “The pitchers go through a lot of hard things, and I have full trust in all of them. They all have good stuff.
“They’re all very different looks, and they’re all very good at what they do. I’m excited to see what they’ve got. I have full faith in them that they can take on anyone.”
Part of Damon’s job is managing the different personalities and needs of the staff.
“We have nine pitchers, so you have to approach everyone a little bit differently,” Damon said. “It’s knowing when to call time, when to speed them up or slow them down, when they need confidence, when they need a little push. It’s just knowing what they need.”
Damon said she has watched UCF’s younger pitchers grow into those moments over the course of the season, especially Tori Payne, Ava Stuewe and Hildie Dempsey.
“Just seeing their confidence build through results,” Damon said. “They’ve really stepped up. Typically, you come in as a freshman and you’re kind of quiet. Just seeing them grow and become themselves, exude confidence and really lead this team has been awesome.”
‘Don’t play the name on the jersey’
The challenge at UCLA is obvious.
The Bruins are the winningest program in college softball history, with 12 NCAA championships and 33 Women’s College World Series appearances. UCLA also leads the all-time series against UCF, 8-0, and this weekend marks the first postseason meeting between the programs.
Damon said UCF cannot get caught up in the logo, the history or the home-run totals.
“I think it’s just sticking to our plans,” Damon said. “I think Coach Bear is one of the best pitch callers in the nation, so each pitcher understanding what their role is and what that looks like is big.
“Wherever they’re put in the game, just going in and executing, I think we have a really good shot if we stick to us and don’t play the name on the jersey.”
That mindset carried UCF through Tallahassee.
The Knights went 3-1 in the regional, beat Florida State for the first time since 2011 and became one of just three teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament field to eliminate a top-16 national seed.
Now Damon believes the same approach can carry UCF one step further.
“Our motto last weekend became, ‘Anything could happen,’” Damon said. “And I truly believe that.”
From Oklahoma to Orlando
Damon is originally from the Oklahoma City area and initially connected with Ball-Malone during her sophomore year of high school. She started coming to camps in Orlando and was attracted to the idea of being part of a program trying to do something it had never done before.
“I think Coach Bear’s message of being the first team to go do something big, that’s something I wanted to be a part of,” Damon said. “She kind of reminds me of myself a little bit. Just seeing that, seeing how she runs her program, and the campus is obviously beautiful. Can’t complain about Florida. I think it was that that drove me here.”
Now Damon and the Knights are two wins away from doing exactly what she came to UCF to chase.
The program has never reached the Women’s College World Series. UCLA has been there more than any other program.
But UCF already changed one piece of program history last weekend. Damon believes there is still more ahead.
“I think we can do anything,” Damon said.
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