HAYWARD, Calif. – A 3-2 victory in game one was the bright spot for ART U Softball on Friday amid what became a rainy and wet doubleheader at Cal State East Bay's Pioneer Field. Fighting back to take a lead then propelled by a solo home run from senior catcher
Elise Oldham in the seventh inning, the Urban Knights began the day with a victory, started strong in game two, but ended up falling to the Pioneers 14-6 after CSUEB rallied in the fourth.
"I was very happy with our battle in game one," said head coach
Sonja Garnett. "We had quality at bats and were able to score throughout the game.
Elise Oldham had a great day at the plate and it is great to see her producing to her potential."
GAME ONE
Given a 1-0 advantage in the first inning of game one, Cal State East Bay traded that back in the second when Academy of Art benefited with one run from an error and another from freshman infielder
Jennifer Thompson's single. The Knights nearly had more in the fourth instead it was Ali Cerminara's solo home run in the home half of the inning that tied the game 2-2.
Sophomore pitcher
Brenna Mitchell (4-3), who had entered in relief in the first inning with none out, remained solid in the circle, logging two strikeouts as she pitched her way out of a leadoff double and single thereafter. Oldham, who had been just a foot shy of her first home run of the year in the fifth, ended up getting the pitch she needed in the seventh, drilling a ball beyond the left field fence with two outs and her team's back against the wall.
Mitchell walked the first two batters of the seventh, but bared down got her fifth strikeout before Oldham finished the 3-2 win by icing a runner an attempted base stealer at third. Allowing just one run on five hits, Mitchell picked up her fourth victory of the year.
GAME TWOART U's momentum immediately carried over into the second contest as three consecutive singles, one of the run batted in variety from freshman infielder
Brenna Youngquist then a RBI double by Mitchell and RBI from senior outfielder
Andrea Gill all contributed to a five-run first inning. Three Pioneer hits, however, produced three runs in response and the score was 5-3 Knights one inning into the finale.
Both pitchers and defenses settled down, exchanging two scoreless frames then it was Oldham once again who provided a clutch hit for Academy of Art. This time it was not her power, but her cleverness that showed as she laid down a bunt for a suicide squeeze to score freshman infielder
Katie Tablada who had been part of back-to-back doubles.
The 6-3 ART U lead did not last long because with the rain starting to pick up, so did Cal State East Bay's offense in that fourth inning. The Pioneers would plate 10 runs to drastically shift the game's momentum and go up 13-6. From there, CSUEB needed just one more run in the fifth to activate the run-rule and they would do just that, winning 14-6 on a RBI single.
The Knights exit the day 4-7-1 overall and have no split each of their last three doubleheaders. Owner of a four-game hitting streak, Oldham finished Friday 3-for-7 with a home run and two RBIs while Youngquist went 2-for-3 with a RBI and double in the second contest. Thompson had a run batted in during game one and both Gill and Mitchell each had RBIs in game two. Gill added three stolen bases on the day.
Cal State East Bay stays at .500 with a 4-4 record now and had a big game two from Annissa Gonzalez who hit her first career home run, a three-run shot, and Gabby Gonzalez who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Cerminara had the homer in game one, but would finish the day just 1-for-4 Tatiana Beilstein received a no-decision in the opener despite not allowing an earned run in six innings of her start. Kelsey Cairns (1-0) picked up the game two win with one run allowed in 4.1 innings of work.
Academy of Art turns around and plays host to Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday, Feb. 20 out at Mission Blue Field in a noon doubleheader.
"I want the team to come out tomorrow and be consistent," said Garnett. "We have 14 innings of softball, and we need to put pressure on our opponent each inning offensively. On defense, we need to continue to get better and work hard. We have a lot of season left and finding consistency will be the key to our success."
