SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – 30 wins... and then some.

Entering Saturday one victory away from the program's most wins in a single-season, Academy of Art University Softball proceeded to break the record and then add to it with a sweep of Dominican at Penguin Field. The opening contest saw PacWest Freshman of the Week Brooke Larsen (17-3) surrender three runs, but early offense plus a clutch pinch-hit two-run single from freshman catcher Alyssa Brundage helped the Urban Knights capture their 30th win of the year on a 6-3 final. ART U's 31st win featured heavy offense as the teams combined for 26 hits, but another fifth-inning rally plus a solo homer from senior utility Brenna Mitchell and Larsen's third save of the year resulted in a 9-7 triumph for the sweep.

GAME 1 – ART U 6, Dominican 3
As perhaps a sign of some of the challenges that lay ahead, Dominican managed to load the bases on three walks in the bottom of the first inning, but Larsen pitched her way out of it with two strikeouts and a lineout to sophomore infielder Gracie Sotomayor. It was Sotomayor who then touched home plate for the first run of the game in the second after junior infielder Brenna Youngquist roped a double to right.

Larsen retired the side in order in the second then helped her own cause with a one of two run-scoring singles in the third. Up 4-0, the Knights surrendered the shutout in the Penguins' half of the inning on a back-to-back sacrifice bunts.

After a quiet fourth inning, both teams scored in the fifth beginning with Brundage stepping in to hit with the bases loaded. On a 1-2 pitch, she smacked one through the left side and scored two to make it a 6-1 ballgame. Dominican responded with two runs of its own mere batters later, but the scoring would cease from that point forward. Larsen retired the final eight batters she faced, including the last three all on strikes, to secure the 6-3 victory.

GAME 2 – ART U 9, Dominican 7
The high-scoring finale started innocently enough with a sacrifice fly by the Penguins in the first inning and that 1-0 advantage carried into the third. Breaking through after having just one hit in the first two frames, Academy of Art loaded the bases then converted on freshman infielder Jayda Alaan's two-run double, Mitchell's squeeze bunt plus an error, and a Sotomayor run-scoring single.

Suddenly up 5-1, ART U freshman starter Cecilia Lopez (8-4) seemed to have found her groove with nine straight batters retired after the aforementioned sacrifice fly. She would run into trouble in the fourth, however, when four consecutive singles mixed with stolen bases helped the Penguins rally back for three runs. Sophomore pitcher Hannah Rose Balke (4-2) was called upon in relief and did not allow what would have been the tying run or more to score.

The Knights' 5-4 margin was then extended in the fifth when Mitchell hit a sacrifice fly and senior infielder Samantha Klune promptly followed with a double. Larsen plated Klune on another double then Sotomayor singled and a run scored on an error in the continuous play. Academy of Art then pushed its lead up to 9-4 in the sixth when Mitchell cranked a solo home run beyond the left field fence.

After ART U loaded the bases in the seventh, but did not score, Dominican put together one final rally in an attempt to walk off a winner. A double scored one, a wild pitch accounted for another run, and a sacrifice fly provided the third, but with Larsen having returned to the circle, her game-ending strikeout came in a situation with the tying run at the plate and the Knights prevailed 9-7.

Now 31-12 overall and 14-6 in PacWest play, Academy of Art has now won 15 of its last 16 games. On the day, Larsen picked up a win and a save while allowing three runs on four hits plus three walks and 10 strikeouts in 8.0 innings of work. As a hitter, she went 4-for-8 with a double and was one of five Knights with two runs batted in. Youngquist finished 4-for-6 with a double and the two driven in while Mitchell went 3-for-6 with a double, a homer, and the two RBIs. Alaan added two doubles with two RBIs as well as her nation-leading 23rd hit by pitch and Brundage posted a pair of RBIs in her 1-for-4 day.

Saturday's victories were also extra-special for four Urban Knights. Sonja Garnett, assistant coach Alana Aweau ('12), as well as seniors Samantha Klune and Brenna Mitchell each earned their 100th win with the program after first donning the black and red back in 2014.

Dominican falls to 16-30 on the season and 7-19 in conference. Alyssa Ramirez was 2-for-3 with a double, two steals, and three driven in while McKenzie Schumacher finished 5-for-7 with a triple and three steals in the doubleheader. Gaby Katafias (9-15) started both games, but took two losses after surrendering 15 runs on 23 hits plus five walks and one strikeout.

ART U will now get an extended stretch at Mission Blue Field, starting an eight-game homestand with four against Hawaii Pacific on Apr. 21-22.