Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BRISBANE, Calif. – Six different pitchers stepped in during Saturday's doubleheader and none allowed more than one earned run in a pair of low-scoring affairs with Academy of Art hosting Dominican at Mission Blue Field. Senior infielder
Taylor Thurman played a part in each of the Urban Knights four runs scored en route to a 4-1 game one win and freshman
Brenna Mitchell (9-4) threw another gem. The second contest, however, went the way of the Penguins with their ace in the circle.
GAME ONEContinuing over from her first collegiate shutout against Notre Dame de Namur the day prior, Mitchell was sharp in the early going. She allowed two baserunners in the opening frame, but struck out the final batter and rung up the third to the plate in the second as well.
For Dominican, Ashlyn Moriarity (1-8) was also effective through the first two frames before running into trouble in the third. After sophomore outfielder
Hallie Curtis reached on an error, senior outfielder
Haily MacDonald continued to wield a hot bat with a double to set the table for Thurman. On the seventh pitch of her at-bat, Thurman drove a two-run single into center and that was followed by a RBI single from junior catcher
Elise Oldham.
The 3-0 ART U lead was all Mitchell needed the rest of the way. A Dominican threat in the fifth was silenced when Tori Johnson lined into a double play. Later in that inning, Thurman surprised the Penguin defense with a bunt to score MacDonald, putting the Knights up 4-0. Dominican, however, managed to finish Mitchell's scoreless innings streak at 15.0 when a fielding error allowed Catlyn Cavender to score.
In the end, Academy of Art would win 4-1 and Mitchell's final line featured no earned runs through a complete 7.0 innings pitched and two strikeouts.
GAME TWOA fielding error in the first inning of game two set the tone as Dominican plated one to start and soon added another unearned run in the third after the leadoff batter reached on a miscue. Freshman outfielder
Samantha Klune doubled to open the ART U third inning, but moved no farther than third base as Katelyn Harden (4-5) remained effective throughout.
The scoreboard was quiet until the fifth when the Penguins put together a rally on a single hit, increasing their lead to 3-0. The Urban Knights still could not find a rhythm offensively over the final three frames and the end result was Dominican's 4-0 victory to split the day.
Academy of Art moves to 12-10 overall and 7-3 in conference play following Saturday's games. Thurman was 1-for-3 with three runs batted in for game one while MacDonald (3-for-6, 2B) and Klune (2-for-6) were the two Urban Knights to register at least one hit in each contest.
Dominican is now 5-16 on the year with a 4-10 PacWest record. Leslie Mesa's 3-for-6 day was highlighted by two RBIs in the second contest. In the circle, Harden finished her game two win with 7.0 innings pitched, no runs allowed, three hits allowed, and one strikeout.
ART U moves deeper into PacWest Conference play with road games at No. 17 California Baptist (Mar. 18) and No. 7 Dixie State (Mar. 20-21) coming up next week.
