BRISBANE, Calif. – Bouncing back from a 2-1 loss to Holy Names in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader, Academy of Art softball broke out for five runs in the second inning of the finale, outlasting the Hawks 7-6 in the end. Senior pitcher Hannah Rose Balke (2-9) offered multiple career-firsts in game two and senior utility Dominique Seva'aetasi's second career home run ended up being the difference in the Pacific West Conference victory out at Mission Blue Field.

GAME 1 – HNU 2, ART U 1
In a good rhythm to start, Balke's lone mistake ended up being costly as she surrendered a solo home run in the second inning despite retiring nine of the 10 other batters she faced in that span. Though the Urban Knights loaded the bases in the third, it was not until the fifth that they pushed across the tying run. There, it was a two-out single from freshman infielder Haley Randall and a walk to junior catcher Lauryn Henderson that set up Seva'aetasi for a run-scoring single through the left side.

Following a scoreless sixth, Holy Names managed to capitalize in the seventh, bringing in an unearned run on an infield single to move in front 2-1. Senior infielder Gracie Sotomayor became the potential tying run when she led off the bottom half of the frame with a single and, though she reached second after a stolen base, HNU escaped with the victory.

GAME 2 – ART U 7, HNU 6
After sophomore pitcher Haley Arnold-Jolley (2-2) kept the Hawks off the scoreboard for the first two innings of the day's finale (including a three-pitch second), a wild bottom of the second saw Academy of Art plate five runs. With two runners in scoring position, Balke dropped down a bunt for her career first run batted in while an error brought in a second. Junior catcher Alyssa Brundage then notched her first RBI of the year on a single and Sotomayor added a run-scoring single of her own shortly thereafter. The frame ended on a sacrifice fly for Henderson that turned into a double play, but a 5-0 advantage had ART U confident early.

Holy Names rallied for three runs in the fourth, but Seva'aetasi then made it a 7-3 ballgame when she smashed a two-run homer beyond the left field fence. Neither side changed the score in the sixth, however, a sacrifice fly and two-run long ball brought the visitors dangerously close to completing a comeback in the seventh. Up 7-6, ART U called upon Balke to get the final out in relief and, after she induced a groundout on the first pitch that left her hand, the win was sealed as Balke earned the first save of her career.

The day's results put Academy of Art at 4-15 overall and 3-5 in PacWest play. Driving in at least one run in each contest, Seva'aetasi finished 2-for-5 with a home run, three runs batted in, and a stolen base. Sotomayor, Henderson, and Brundage each drove in singular RBIs in the second game while Balke showed her versatility, pitching a complete game in the opener then registering one RBI and also getting the save in the victory.

Now just 10 games into its 2020 campaign, Holy Names sits at 4-6 overall and an even 3-3 in conference. Lyndsey Widner homered as part of a 2-for-2 performance in the opening contest and Aloni Appleton also hit a homer in the finale while going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Urban Knights' PacWest homestand will resume next week with back-to-back noon doubleheaders hosting Hawaii Pacific on Mar. 10-11.