Box Score TURLOCK, Calif. – On the road at Warrior Softball Field for a single game on Saturday, Academy of Art Softball took an unfortunate 4-1 loss after Stanislaus State began with a three-run push in the first inning.

"Stanislaus played a great game," said head coach Sonja Garnett. "They made some incredible plays and we were not making the necessary adjustments throughout the game. We were able to put pressure on them throughout, but simply did not execute well enough for the win."

The Warriors' rally in the first saw a bases-loaded situation yield three runs by way of a walk, groundout, and single. Sophomore pitcher Hannah Rose Balke (1-1) came on to relieve senior pitcher Brenna Mitchell (1-2) during the Stanislaus State surge and a 3-0 lead came when the dust had settled.

Responding in the top of the third, a leadoff walk by sophomore utility Dominique Seva'aetasi combined with a double from freshman infielder Jayda Alaan to set the table for sophomore infielder Gracie Sotomayor's run-scoring single up the middle. The Knights loaded the bases later in the inning to chase the Warriors' starter, but Stanislaus State got the run back in their half of the third on a sacrifice fly.

Academy of Art had opportunities to score in the later innings beginning with junior infielder Brenna Youngquist's leadoff double in the sixth and sophomore outfielder Gabi Hirsch's single along with a steal in the seventh, but the Knights could not convert and the Warriors held on for the 4-1 victory.

ART U returns to .500 overall with a 4-4 record thus far. Mitchell took the loss in her second start of the year and Balke provided 5.2 innings of relief work with one unearned run allowed on five hits with two strikeouts. Offensively, Sotomayor finished 2-for-3 with a run batted in while Alaan, Youngquist, and Mitchell each had doubles on the day.

The win helps Stanislaus improve to 5-2 on the year and it was reliever Megan Stacy (2-0) who picked up the victory after allowing no runs and just two hits in 4.2 innings of work with five strikeouts. Katelyn McDonald was 2-for-2 with a run batted in.

Academy of Art returns home to Mission Blue Field for its second home gameday of the year tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 11, with Saint Martin's in town for an 11 a.m. start to the doubleheader.

"Tomorrow is a fresh start," said Garnett. "We plan to learn from our mistakes and come out strong. We have some very small adjustments to make and I believe this team will come out and perform tomorrow."