BRISBANE, Calif. – On The 30.

In its 2018 home finale, Academy of Art University Softball celebrated its two seniors, Samantha Klune and Brenna Mitchell, then proceeded to score 30 total runs across a doubleheader sweep of Holy Names out at Mission Blue Field on Sunday. Game one saw the Urban Knights score in every inning including seven in the third and five in the fourth (three on Klune's home run) to back Mitchell (4-3) who delivered four shutout innings in what eventually ended as a 16-1 final in five frames and the program's single-game scoring record. The ART U offense then plated seven in the second inning of game two, six in the fourth, and run-ruled the Hawks once more 14-0 over a dazzling five innings from freshman Brooke Larsen (21-3). The Senior Day victories pushed Academy of Art's winning streak to 13 games to set the athletic department's all-time record.

GAME 1 – ART U 16, HNU 1 (5)
After Mitchell's Senior Day start began with a strikeout and three consecutive outs, the Knights wasted no time getting onto the scoreboard with a leadoff single from sophomore outfielder Gabi Hirsch to set the table for a two-run homer from freshman infielder Jayda Alaan. Mitchell retired two more on strikes in the second before her squad doubled its score on a two-run triple from Hirsch in the bottom half of the frame.

Though she allowed her first and only hit of the afternoon in the third, Mitchell ended up striking out the side to preserve ART U's 4-0 lead at that point. When the bottom of the third had finished, however, Academy of Art led by quite a bit more. Seven total runs came across home plate in the inning with highlights coming from one run on a single by freshman catcher Lauryn Henderson in a pinch-hit appearance, Hirsch driving in two more on a single, and later the seniors delivering back-to-back run-scoring singles.

When the dust settled, the Knights led 11-0, but they did not stop there. In the fourth, ART U added five more on two more run-scoring singles from Alaan and Mitchell before a resounding three-run homer from Klune. The shot would help set a new program single-game scoring record as it put Academy of Art up 16-0, passing the previous record of 15 achieved against Chaminade last season.

Although the Knights conceded the shutout in the fifth after sophomore pitcher Hannah Rose Balke (4-2) allowed one run in a relief appearance, ART U went on to take the run-rule victory 16-1.

GAME 2 – ART U 14, HNU 0 (5)
Amid a scoreless first inning in the day's finale, Alaan was hit in her first at-bat to, in a single-season, officially tie the program's career hit by pitch record of 27 held by Jasmine Dickenson. Larsen, the game two starter for Academy of Art, struck out two in the top of the second before being given seven runs of support in the bottom of the frame.

The Knights' second seven-run inning of the day started with Larsen breaking the program's single-season doubles record with her 17th before sophomore infielder Gracie Sotomayor drove her in on a single, Hirsch plated another, and Alaan cranked a two-run double to left center. Then, following another run batted in for Mitchell's single, two more runs came in on bases-loaded walks. Alaan struck again in the third with her second run-scoring double of the contest to put ART U ahead 8-0.

After Larsen's nine pitches retired the side in order in the top of the fourth, Academy of Art unleashed a six-run rally highlighted by a two-run single from Klune in the bottom half. That set up Larsen to finish off the 14-0 win in the fifth which she did with two more strikeouts along the way.

With the doubleheader sweep and the aforementioned 13-game win streak, the Urban Knights improve to 39-12 overall this season and 22-6 in PacWest play (second to Concordia who completed its regular season 26-6 in conference on Apr. 28). The seniors single-handedly accounted for 10 of the team's 29 runs batted in on the day as Klune finished 6-for-7 with six RBIs, the homer, and four scores while Mitchell was 3-for-6 with four driven in and three scores.

Alaan doubled twice and homered as part of a 4-for-5 doubleheader that saw her post seven RBIs, score five times, and steal a base. Hirsch, who matched the program's single-game record with a four-hit performance in four game two at-bats, would end the day 4-for-7 with five RBIs, a triple, a steal, and four runs scored. Though hit hitting streak ended at 12 games, she increased her reached base streak 22 straight games. Sotomayor added three RBIs in her 3-for-5 day that featured a double and Larsen wound up 2-for-4 with one RBI and the double to take over as the program's single-season leader.

Defensively, ART U allowed one run on the day. Mitchell picked up the victory in the first game on 4.0 innings pitched with no runs against her, one hit allowed, one walk, and seven strikeouts. Larsen tossed her 10th shutout and 20th complete game of the year in the second contest, surrendering just one hit with no walks and five strikeouts.

Holy Names ends its 2018 campaign 4-40 overall and 4-28 in PacWest play. The Hawks' lone RBI on the day came from Haighley Kissee who finished the opening contest 1-for-3.

With its home portion of the 2018 season now complete, Academy of Art next travels to Southern California to play No. 11 California Baptist (May 3) then to St. George, Utah for the Knights' nationally-televised regular season finale at No. 19 Dixie State on May 5.