Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Rohnert Park, CA – Academy of Art University put forth a valiant effort against one of the most dominant pitchers in NCAA Division II Wednesday, but ended up on the wrong end of a doubleheader versus Sonoma State. Out at Seawolf Field, the Urban Knights loaded the bases twice versus All-American Samantha Lipperd, but SSU managed to hold on and edge ART U 1-0 in the end. The series concluded with a 6-1 score favoring the Seawolves which remained close through five innings.

Challenging Lipperd (1-0), an All-American and the nation's strikeout leader in 2012, for the day's opener, ART U was the first to manage a base-runner as freshman Shelby Gill drew a leadoff walk in the top of the second inning. Although she was caught stealing second, the Knights continued to show patience at the plate as sophomore Taylor Thurman and freshman Jasmine Dickenson each drew walks, but the final out of the inning kept the game scoreless.

"[Lipperd] was trying to go out of the zone to make us chase, but we did do a good job of taking the walks," co-head coach Randy Ward said. "She made the adjustment and threw more strikes, but we didn't get barrel on ball with runners in scoring position. I can tell why she is an All-American, but we were definitely capable of getting to her. We just ran out of outs."

Kimberly Dauer (0-3) allowed her first and only run of the ballgame in the bottom of the second by way of a Vanessa Curie single, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch, and finally a RBI double from Keisi Chinen. The sequence was but a blip on the radar for Dauer Wednesday as the senior retired seven of the next eight batters she faced and finished with just three hits allowed in 6.0 strong innings.

"Kim may not have the big strikeout numbers like the pitchers she has gone head-to-head with, but she has been just as effective as they have in getting outs," co-head coach Sami Strinz said. "Today, I was impressed with her ability to make the adjustments in locating her pitches to get the batters to swing the way she wanted them to swing. She has pitched well enough to win and we just haven't made the adjustments at the plate to so that is our goal for her."

Academy of Art had another scoring chance against Lipperd in the fourth when junior Lauren Stover led off with a double and the bases then became loaded with walks to Shelby Gill and Thurman. The All-American accepted the challenge, however, and struck out the side. After putting runners in scoring position in both the fifth and sixth innings, ART U still somehow did not have a run by the seventh.

Down by just a run in the final frame, the Knights used an infield error as well as singles from junior Elyse Cordova and Shelby Gill to set up another bases loaded situation, but one more strikeout for Lipperd sealed the deal on a 1-0 SSU victory.


Despite loading the bases in the first inning of game two, Sonoma State was limited to just one run on a hit batter. From there, ART U put two runners on in the second, however, SSU hurler Amanda Llerena (1-0) got the final out and it remained a 1-0 advantage for the Seawolves.

The second and third innings for Academy of Art were oddly similar as two Knights reached base in each frame, but again none crossed home plate. Sophomore Haily MacDonald and Stover offered singles in the third though they were left stranded.

MacDonald turned around to pitch 4.1 innings in relief without allowing an earned run which made the third through fifth innings all scoreless for SSU. In the sixth, a fielding error eventually led to a three-run rally by the Seawolves though none of the runs were earned. That gave the home team a 6-0 lead.

ART U heated up offensively again in the seventh. After a double by Thurman that was less than a foot shy of a home run, senior Alyssa Hickey provided a pinch hit infield single to put runners on the corners with none out. With two down, senior Julie Martin then came through with a single over the shortstop's glove to bring one home. The rally was stopped there, however, with Sonoma State taking a 6-1 final.

Martin finished with a 1-for-2 game two performance that included the RBI while Thurman walked twice in the opener and then delivered the 1-for-3 second game with a double and a run scored. Stover added a hit in each contest with her first double of the year in the opener. Academy of Art is now 0-4 overall this season.

In what were the first two games of the year for SSU, the Seawolves start 2013 with a 2-0 record thanks to a complete game shutout from Lipperd which featured 14 strikeouts despite six walks. Additionally, Llerena went 7.0 innings as well with 10 strikeouts and one run on six hits. Hayley Condon offered a 3-for-6 day with one RBI and two runs scored while Ali Palermo had two RBIs in her 2-for-3 game two.

ART U now travels to Las Vegas, NV for its fourth consecutive year participating in the Montana State-Billings Desert Stinger where the Knights will face the University of Mary and Central Washington (Feb. 8), Black Hills State and Western New Mexico (Feb. 9), and New Mexico Highlands (Feb. 10). For more information previewing this tournament, click here.

"Our focus this weekend will be to control what we can control and respond appropriately to what we can't control," Coach Ward said. "We have been giving up too many free outs and runs. We can do something about it and we have a great opportunity to do that this weekend. We have faced two All-American caliber pitchers in the first four games. Our timing at the plate needed to be great to beat them. We came close, but I feel confident that the more at-bats we get, our timing will continue to improve."