BRISBANE, Calif. – Academy of Art University Softball stayed the winningest team in the Pacific West Conference, sweeping a doubleheader with Chaminade to push a 10-game win streak on Tuesday out at Mission Blue Field. Led by
PacWest Player of the Week freshman pitcher
Brooke Larsen's seventh shutout of the season and her second career save in game two plus a homer by junior infielder
Brenna Youngquist in each contest, ART U topped the Silverswords 3-0 in the opener and 4-2 in the day's finale.
GAME 1 – ART U 3, CUH 0
After capitalizing on a Swords fielding error in the first inning, sophomore outfielder
Gabi Hirsch stole second and later came home on a groundout by senior utility
Brenna Mitchell as Academy of Art quickly got ahead 1-0. Though both teams would put a pair of runners on in the third, the one-run advantage held into the fourth.
Youngquist connected for her second home run of the year, a solo shot, in that inning to effectively double the lead for ART U. Settling into a rhythm, Larsen (15-2) struck out two of the three batters she faced in the fifth and, in the bottom of that frame, senior infielder
Samantha Klune made it a 3-0 margin with a run-scoring single.
Larsen struck out one batter in each of the final two innings of what would be her seventh shutout of the year as the Knights prevailed 3-0.
GAME 2 – ART U 4, CUH 2
Mitchell entered the circle for her sixth start of the season in game two and she would respond to an error in the first by striking out the side. In the third, however, Chaminade benefited from another miscue then doubled home two for a 2-0 lead.
That advantage did not last beyond the third as Academy of Art came back with a two-out single from Mitchell, a walk to Klune, and ultimately an error with a game-tying hit from sophomore infielder
Gracie Sotomayor. The scales of the 2-2 ballgame tipped to ART U in the fourth when Youngquist crushed a two-run homer beyond the left field fence.
Sophomore pitcher
Hannah Rose Balke (3-2), who entered in the fourth, completed her third scoreless frame in the sixth, but a leadoff double in the seventh forced the Knights to call upon Larsen once again. She would induce two strikeouts and finally struck out the last batter to secure the 4-2 victory and the sweep.
Extending the program's longest win streak to 10 games and now eyeing the Academy of Art athletics department's all-time record of 11 set by women's basketball in 2013-14, ART U Softball is now 26-11 overall this year and 9-5 in PacWest play. With the two home runs as part of her 3-for-5 day that included three runs batted in, Youngquist moved into a tie with Ashley Lokey for the fifth-most career homers (13) in program history and sole possession of fifth in career runs batted in (85). Sophomore utility
Dominique Seva'aetasi was 3-for-3 in game two and ended 4-for-7 with a stolen base. Hirsch was 2-for-7 and currently owns an eight-game hitting streak.
Not one of the three Knights pitchers allowed an earned run on the day as Larsen, who went 2-for-6 at the plate, tossed her PacWest-leading 14th complete game as part of her shutout then added a save with a scoreless seventh in the second contest for no runs allowed and just two hits in eight innings plus seven strikeouts. She has now not allowed a run in her last 35.2 innings pitched. Balke collected her third win in game two with four hits allowed in three scoreless innings after Mitchell, who went 2-for-5 at the plate, gave up two unearned runs on one hit with three strikeouts in her 3.0 innings of work.
Chaminade drops to 9-23 on the year and 5-15 in conference. PacWest Freshman of the Week Jackie Najera managed a hit in each game for a 2-for-3 day while Devan Dickson (3-11) threw a complete game in the second contest and also went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
Both Academy of Art and Chaminade will meet once more tomorrow, Mar. 28, in a noon doubleheader at Mission Blue Field.
