IRVINE, Calif. – Impressive freshman pitching was the story on both sides of the first game of the NCAA Division II West Regional Tournament between Academy of Art and No. 12 Concordia at Eagles Field on Thursday. A 3-0 final saw the Urban Knights' staff surrender the only earned run of the day in the third inning as ART U had scoring chances throughout, but could not break through against PacWest Pitcher and Freshman of the Year Callie Nunes (25-3).

Facing Nunes, the NCAA DII leader in both earned run average and strikeouts, Academy of Art was not intimidated offensively with senior utility Brenna Mitchell launching a two-out single to left. Though the first hit of the game would not result in a score, it demonstrated Nunes was not completely impervious.

After freshman starter Cecilia Lopez (10-7) retired the side in order in the bottom of the first, freshman pitcher/utility Brooke Larsen opened the second inning with a resounding double to left and soon reached third on a wild pitch. Junior infielder Brenna Youngquist then walked to put runners on the corners with one out, but the Eagles were able to keep the game scoreless.

A walk to Mitchell then made it three consecutive innings that ART U had a base-runner against Nunes, but she would be left stranded yet again. The bottom of the frame opened with CUI's own leadoff double then a sacrifice bunt to move the runner and a run-scoring single by Ryann Ferguson down the right field line. The threat then ended when freshman catcher Alyssa Brundage nabbed a runner trying to steal second, but a brief top of the fourth put Academy of Art quickly back on defense.

Concordia began what looked like the potential for another rally in the fourth, but after calling upon Larsen (21-4) to provide relief innings in the circle, two strikeouts and a popout dodged any further damage. Sophomore outfielder Gabi Hirsch then sped her way into scoring position with a single and a stolen base in the fifth, however, Nunes and the Eagles were once again able to keep the Knights off the scoreboard.

An error with one out in the fifth was then coupled with a walk to spark CUI's offense as Amanda Gjertsen sent a two-run double off the centerfield fence, giving the home team a 3-0 lead. ART U remained within striking distance and put one runner on in each of the final two innings via walks, but the score remained unchanged until the final out.

Still in search of its 40th win of the year, Thursday's result puts the Knights' overall record at 39-17. In the contest, Larsen finished 1-for-2 as a hitter with her 19th double of the year while also providing 3.0 relief innings as a pitcher in which she struck out three and allowed two unearned runs on four hits and two walks. Lopez took the hard-luck loss with one run allowed on four hits and one walk across 3.0 innings of work. Offensively, Mitchell was 1-for-2 with a walk, Hirsch went 1-for-4 with her 30th stolen base of the season, and Youngquist walked twice for her PacWest-leading 36th free pass of the year and broke the program's single-season walks record previously held by Ashley Lokey (2010).

Concordia's 15th consecutive victory puts them at 45-12 overall this season. Nunes delivered her 10th shutout of the year with three hits and four walks allowed in 7.0 innings to go with seven strikeouts. Gjertsen ended her day 2-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in while Ferguson provided the team's other RBI in a 1-for-4 performance.

After No. 18 Dixie State barely staved off a Cal State San Bernardino seventh-inning comeback to win 5-4 prior to the Knights matchup with the Eagles, day two of NCAA Regionals will feature pairings of No. 12 Concordia and DSU at 10 a.m. followed by Academy of Art versus Cal State San Bernardino at 12:30 p.m. When ART U met the Coyotes earlier this season on Mar. 23 in the Tournament of Champions, Lopez and Larsen combined for a 1-0 shutout that was won on a bunt single by sophomore infielder Gracie Sotomayor.