GAME #35, 36 (Doubleheader)
AAU Urban Knights (9-25) vs Menlo College Oaks (7-18)
Wednesday April 8, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM
Atherton, CA, Menlo College Softball Field
THE WEEK AHEAD:
After a week stint in Hawaii the Urban Knights dropped two close games to Western Washington in their first games after returning to the mainland. They now look to take on the Menlo College Oaks Wednesday, April 8.
LOOKING BEYOND:
After the two game series with the Oaks, the Urban Knights will travel to Rohnert Park, CA to take on a hungry 16-36 Sonoma State ball club. Then, after their four games this week, AAU will wind down their season facing just four more opponents (eight more games) before wrapping up their 2009 inaugural season.
SCOUTING THE OAKS
Menlo College (7-18 overall) started their season dropping 11 of their first 14 games, but will come into the game against AAU on a one-game winning streak. The Urban Knights who are coming off two close losses to Western Washington look to bring home a win. The young Urban Knights team continues to improve game after game and hopes to make easy work of the Oaks. The first obstacle the Knights will have to face is the power hitting of Megan Finney who is batting .345 and has a slugging percentage of .440. Finney has seen 84 at bats and has 17 runs, and driven in 5 RBI's. Susanne Thomsen leads the Oaks with three home runs and 15 RBIs and a team-high .479 slugging percentage.
The pitching staff for the Oaks consists of Kayla Henson, Pam Marchese, and Jessica Cobb. Marchese has played and started in all 13 games for the Oaks and is 2-9 on the season with a 4.45 ERA. She has pitched 72 innings, and has faced 348 batters thus far in the season. She has given up 55 runs (46 earned), 26 walks and only two home runs.
LAST SERIES RECAP: VIKINGS
The Urban Knights almost came home with a win against the Western Washington Vikings on April 1, 2009 however a run by the Vikings ended the game 8-7 in the extra 8th inning. For AAU, Sierrah Garcia (Los Banos, CA) kept the Vikings from running away with the game, she pitched 7.2 innings, giving up 12 hits, and eight runs, four which were earned. Garcia gave up one walk and had two strikeouts in the game.
Offensively for the Urban Knights, Jacqueline Nieves (Victorville, CA) had a good hitting game going 2-4. Ashley Petty (Scotts Valley, CA)also did well going 1-3, with a double, two runs scored and a run batted in; and Nicole Palmer (Yorba Linda, CA) went 1-4, also with a double, a run scored and a run batted in.
Game two for the Urban Knights was a different story as the Young Knights could not match the energy of the more experienced Vikings, the Knights would drop game two by a score of 1-7.
The Urban Knights were able to put a run on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning. The drive started on a Nicole Palmer (Yorba Linda, CA)single to left field. Then with one out, Melissa Coe (Oakley, CA) grounded out; advancing Palmer to second. With two outs on the board, Crista Sykes (Sacramento, CA)singled to center field scoring Palmer from second. That would be the only run of the game for the Urban Knights.
Junior Ericka Ames (Temecula, CA) started the game in the circle for the Academy of Art University. Ames pitched four innings, giving up eight hits, four earned runs, and one walk. Sierrah Garcia (Los Banos, CA) came in to relieve Ames at the top of the fifth inning. Garcia went three innings pitched; giving up four hits, three earned runs, one walk, and had one strikeout. Ames got the loss in the game.
Academy of Art University's own Crista Sykes (Sacramento, CA) went 2-3 in the game with a run batted in. Nicole Palmer (Yorba Linda, CA) went 1-3, with one run scored, and Melissa Coe (Oakley, CA) went 1-3 in the game.
