Box Score #1
Box Score #2

Photo Gallery (images by Austin McKeon)

Rohnert Park, CA – Urban Knights softball held a pair of early leads against two-time defending CCAA Champion Sonoma State on Saturday afternoon at Seawolf Softball Field, but SSU would come back to take 5-3 and 8-3 victories in the end. Academy of Art University was up 3-2 for much of the first contest before a three-run Seawolves rally in the 5th altered the course. Game two saw ART U go ahead 1-0 in the 2nd, but Sonoma State responded with four in the 2nd and three in the 6th to create a victory margin. Sophomore outfielder Elyse Cordova posted two multi-hit games while freshman outfielder Haily MacDonald had her first run batted in as an Urban Knight, going 2-for-3 in the second contest.

It was an eventful 1st inning in game one as senior outfielder Ashley Lokey led things off with a walk, Cordova followed with a bunt single, and then sophomore infielder Lauren Stover bunted both runners over. Junior catcher Andrea Hanchey would come up and deliver an RBI on a fielder's choice where Lokey slid under a tag at home. The runners then executed the double steal as Cordova swiped home before an RBI double off the centerfield fence by senior infielder Genna Allen put ART U 3-0 after one inning.

Sonoma State respond with single-run rallies in 1st and 2nd innings, but the Urban Knights' defense was key in the innings which followed. With a runner on third in the 2nd, the ART U infield trio of pitcher Kristin Valdivia, first baseman Jayme Stewart, and Hanchey turned a double play from first to home plate to exit the inning. Academy of Art used the momentum of that play to begin shutting down the Seawolf offense. Hanchey highlighted the 3rd by catching SSU's Vanessa Currie stealing at third base before Valdivia struck out Samantha Beauchamp in a three-up, three-down 4th inning.

The game's momentum, however, would change in the 5th inning after a throwing error by Allen resulted in two runs for the Seawolves. SSU built on the rally with another run by way of a sacrifice fly and the contest was now 5-3 in favor of Sonoma State. Seawolf starting pitcher Ciara Becerril limited the Knights in the final two frames and it was SSU who went on to take the first contest 5-3.


Academy of Art University was on the board first once again in game two thanks to the freshman tandem of third baseman Taylor Thurman and designated player Haily MacDonald. After Thurman singled, MacDonald delivered the first RBI single of her ART U career to provide the Urban Knights with a 1-0 advantage.

In the Sonoma 2nd, however, the Seawolves posted four runs highlighted by a two-run single by Danielle D'Eccliss and took a 4-1 lead going into the 3rd. SSU added to its advantage with another run in the 3rd, but a pair of bunt singles by MacDonald and senior outfielder Melissa Coe then started an ART U rally in the 5th. With two on and no outs, Lokey stepped to the plate and delivered a two-run double to left, cutting Sonoma's margin down to just two, 5-3.

Both teams fought through a scoreless inning bridging the 5th and 6th before the close contest was broken open by SSU late. The third Seawolves hit in the 6th was a three-run triple by Currie which made it 8-3 Sonoma State. In the 7th, Coe began with a single and Cordova's single two batters later put two on with one out, but SSU got the final two outs before an ART U comeback and took the victory.

Top offensive performances for Academy of Art (0-4) came from top of the order, Cordova and Lokey, on Saturday. Cordova, ART U's new batting average leader (.500), combined to go 5-for-8 with one run scored and a stolen base. Lokey was 2-for-4 in game two with the double and two RBIs while Allen, Hanchey, and MacDonald each had RBIs on the day. Valdivia (0-2) pitched 6.0 innings in the opening contest, keeping her team close with four earned runs allowed and two strikeouts. Game two's starter was junior Kimberly Dauer (0-2) who threw a complete 6.0 innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.

The Seawovles were led by Currie and Ancia Purdy in the doubleheader. Currie had the triple and three RBIs in game two while Purdy went 5-for-7 with three runs scored, two RBIs, and two stolen bases at the top of the SSU batting order. Becerril (1-0) picked up the win in the opening contest, going a complete 7.0 innings with three runs allowed on four hits and three strikeouts. Samantha Lipperd (1-0), the winner in game two, was hit hard in her 2012 debut, giving up three runs on 11 hits with seven strikeouts. Sonoma State moves to 2-0 overall this season as these were their first two games of the year.

Now on the horizon for Academy of Art University is the 2012 Montana State Billings Desert Stinger Tournament in Las Vegas, NV where ART U will face a host of NCAA Division II opponents including these same Sonoma State Seawolves in a five-game, three day stretch spanning Feb. 10-12.