Box Score Turlock, CA – Qualifying to the Bronze Bracket in the Tournament of Champions presented by Turlock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Academy of Art University Softball took a tough 8-2 loss at the hands of tourney host Cal State Stanislaus on Sunday. The Urban Knights held a 1-0 advantage thanks to
Elise Oldham's home run in the second inning, but walks and untimely hits spelled the difference as the Warriors' offense came alive late.
Both ART U's
Alexa Peters (1-2) and Karina Callazo (4-5) had an unblemished first inning, retiring their respective sides in order. However, in the second, Stanislaus threatened with a pair of hits, but the first was erased by an impressive throw from
Lauren Stover behind the plate and the other nullified as Peters struck one batter and induced a popout from another.
Academy of Art took that opportunity to take a 1-0 lead as Oldham blasted her third homer of the season over the left field fence in the bottom of the second. Later in the inning, the Knights loaded the bases, but a strikeout by Callazo finished it.
From there, the Warriors capitalized on a pair of walks to start the third, bringing both in on a Natalie Winters single. Stover would again catch Stanislaus on the base paths and Peters recorded her second swinging strikeout to exit the frame.
In the fourth, CSUS got a solo homer from Cierrah Mullins to go ahead 3-1, but ART U rallied one back in the bottom half after doubles by
Jasmine Dickenson and
Jessica West got things started.
Lauren Stover provided the sacrifice fly to plate Dickenson and the game shifted to 3-2 Warriors.
Carlee Emerson entered in relief during the fifth, getting the final out to keep Stanislaus off the scoreboard. The Knights nearly tied it shortly thereafter when
Kamyle Glover hit a leadoff single and reached third, but she was stranded and the momentum swung to CSUS after they scored once in the sixth.
Another Warriors surge came in the seventh, making the final score much different than the close contest it had been much of the way. The end result was an 8-2 victory for the tournament host.
ART U comes out of the weekend 10-20 overall and it was Oldham's 1-for-3 performance that led the way with her solo home run. Thurman and West each went 1-for-2 while Dickenson was 1-for-3 with a double.
Academy of Art returns from the Tournament of Champions with a slate of 20 games to be played in 19 days starting with Holy Names at home in Brisbane this Wednesday at 12:00 PM.
