Box Score #1
Box Score #2

Turlock, CA – It was a tough day for Academy of Art University out at Warrior Softball Field Wednesday afternoon as Cal State Stanislaus managed to take both sides of a non-conference doubleheader, 3-0 and 10-2. A one-run game through the first four innings, the opening contest tipped to CSUS when the home team scored two in the fifth. In the second matchup, the Urban Knights led early, but the Warriors came back with a series of rallies in the first three innings to back ahead. Senior outfielder Ashley Lokey was on base often Wednesday, going 4-for-7, while sophomore infielder Lauren Stover pushed her season-best hit streak to nine games.

The Urban Knights strung together a pair of hits in the opening inning of game one with Stover and freshman infielder Taylor Thurman both singling their way on. Cal State Sanislaus starting pitcher Brittni Weatherford (5-7), however, was able to get her team out of the inning unscathed after getting the final two outs. In the bottom of the inning, the Warriors ended up striking first by way of a triple and RBI double to put together a 1-0 lead.

As both teams' starters settled in, the squads exchanged three scoreless innings. A triple by Lokey came in the fifth inning, but CSUS was again able to exit the inning without any damage. Stanislaus then benefited from an ART U error in the fifth and went on to rally with a RBI double to make the score 3-0 heading into the late innings.

In their final opportunity, the Urban Knights created a potentially game-tying situation in the seventh. After senior outfielder Melissa Coe reached on an error and Lokey singled, Thurman stepped to the plate representing the tying run. Unfortunately it was not ART U's day on this occasion and the final out meant a 3-0 win for CSUS.


Academy of Art got ahead 1-0 in the first inning of game two thanks to Lokey reaching on an error and Thurman bringing her home on a single. Cal State Stanislaus, however, would respond with a pair of runs scored in each of the first two innings. Then in the third, the Warriors plated three more runs on three hits to take a 7-1 lead at that point. The Knights came back with a run of their own in the fifth when sophomore outfielder Elyse Cordova took advantage of two CSUS miscues, but it was a three-run fifth by Stanislaus which finished the game 10-2.

ART U (5-14) had top performances from Lokey and Stover. Lokey's stellar game one saw her go 3-for-4 which included her second triple of the year.  Stover's hit streak was extended to nine games via a single in the first inning of the opening contest and a double in game two. She has now owns the longest streak by an Urban Knight this season. In game one, Dauer posted her sixth consecutive start of allowing three earned runs or less allowed. She threw 6.0 innings while surrendering three and striking out three.

Offensively, the Warriors (9-20) were led by Jordan Flora in game one (3-for-3, 2 RBIs) and Sarah Locarnini in the second contest (3-for-3, 4 RBIs). In the first game, Weatherford earned a complete game victory with no runs allowed on seven hits and four strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched while Natalie Rendon (3-8) picked up the complete game two win after allowing two unearned runs with four strikeouts spread across 5.0 innings pitched.

The Urban Knights will return home for another PacWest Conference series this weekend beginning on Saturday, Mar. 10. ART U welcomes Dixie State to Mission Blue Field for a pair of doubleheaders with Sunday representing Youth Day. If you are an Academy of Art University student, be sure to sign up for the 1:00 PM FAN BUS at the following link: