IRVINE, Calif. – The fourth inning was not kind to the Urban Knights Saturday as two game-changing home runs were hit by Concordia midway through in each game to power the Eagles to a sweep. After Academy of Art had rallied with five runs in the third to take the lead, a three-run shot turned a tie game into what would become an 8-5 win for CUI. Then, in the day's finale, a 2-0 ART U advantage shifted to 4-2 Concordia on a grand slam and that score remained to the end.

"Today we continued to get runners in scoring position, but failed to execute," said head coach Sonja Garnett. "They were successful in clutch situations and we were not."

GAME 1 – CUI 8, ART U 5
All of the Knights' action came in the third inning after Concordia had established a 2-0 lead with runs in each of the first two innings. The rally started with three walks as well as a bunt single by freshman infielder Gracie Sotomayor. After the first run had come in on a free pass, sophomore infielder Brenna Youngquist drove in the tying run with a single to left. Two more bases-loaded walks plus another run-scoring single to left by redshirt freshman catcher Adrianna Rupright put ART U on top 5-2.

The third turned into the inning that would never end, however, as the Eagles responded by plating three runs in the bottom half on two hit batters with the bases full and a sacrifice fly. Game one became 5-5 ballgame after the teams had combined to send 20 batters to the plate in the third inning alone.

In the fourth, Academy of Art threatened by putting two runners in scoring position, but two outs later it was CUI batting and a three-run homer by Amy Eilefson ended up being the difference in the game. The Knights continued to have scoring opportunities, loading the bases once more in the fifth, but Concordia stood pat.

In the top of the seventh, Academy of Art brought not just the tying run, but the winning run to the plate with three consecutive two-out singles by senior outfielder Jessica West, Sotomayor, and freshman infielder Freddie Carrillo. Despite the opportunity, Concordia got the groundout it needed to win 8-5.

GAME 2 – CUI 4, ART U 2
Like they did against Azusa Pacific, the Knights were the first to strike in game two, getting on the board in the opening inning by way of Sotomayor's single, stolen base, a groundout, and the run-scoring error off Carrillo's bat. They doubled that lead to 2-0 in the third on Sotomayor's leadoff walk, a single by sophomore utility Juliana Lopez, and two sacrifice bunts.

Everything changed in the fourth inning, however, when freshman starter Hannah Rose Balke (9-5), who had not allowed a hit to that point, surrendered a pair of singles and hit a batter before Alyssa Turner launched a grand slam. The Knights were unable to regain their momentum from that point, putting up just one hit in the final three innings before falling 4-2.

Academy of Art evens both their overall record (12-12) and PacWest record (6-6) with the day's results. A productive top of the lineup saw Sotomayor end the day 3-for-6 with three runs scored and a stolen base while West was 2-for-2 with her seventh double of the year in the first game. Carrillo, Lopez, Youngquist, junior Samantha Klune, freshman outfielder Dominique Seva'aetasi, and Rupright were each credited with a run batted in as well.

Concordia improves to 22-9-2 overall and 8-4 in conference play. Jordan Quinn (3-2) won the opener with 4.1 scoreless relief innings and BethAnn McCann rose to 8-2 on the year after allowing the two runs on four hits in a complete 7.0 innings of game two. Eilefson finished the first contest 1-for-2 with the homer and five RBIs while Turner closed the finale 1-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs.

The Knights will return to Eagles Field tomorrow, Mar. 19, for the final two games of this series beginning at noon.

"We are looking forward to the rematch tomorrow and hope to do the little things right and maintain focus throughout the game," said Garnett.