BRISBANE, Calif. – Sunday saw two rather different results for Academy of Art softball in its non-conference doubleheader with Cal Poly Humboldt out at Mission Blue Field. Tied at 2-2 early, the first contest shifted to the Urban Knights in the third inning before a six-run avalanche came in the fourth with sophomore pitcher/infielder
Katie Humphreys plating three on her first career triple to help send ART U to an eventual 11-5 victory. Game two went the Lumberjacks' way after more offense in the initial innings led to a 12-1 win in five frames.
GAME 1 – ART U 11, HUM 5
In a sign of the offense that was to come, both sides scored twice in the opening inning as Academy of Art answered the visitors' first punch with one of their own, a two-run single from freshman utility
Elle Edeker with the bases loaded.
After sophomore pitcher
Jolene Rhoades (1-10) and the defense behind her retired the Jacks in order in the second, a leadoff walk and speed turned into a 3-2 advantage for Cal Poly Humboldt. In the ensuing half inning, however, the Knights responded with senior catcher/infielder
Lauryn Henderson doubling to push her team-best hitting streak to eight games before Humphreys then freshman infielder
Carina Sanchez each delivered back-to-back run-scoring singles to move ART U up 4-3.
Rhoades pitched around a leadoff double and a fielding error in the fourth to set up a huge bottom half that featured six runs on three hits with the biggest being Humphreys three-run triple to right center after singles by senior utility
Alyssa Rasmussen and junior catcher/utility
Cassandra Mittman. Now on top 10-3, Academy of Art kept the Jacks off the scoreboard in the fifth, then once again answered their run in the sixth with a run-scoring single from junior outfielder
Bethany Mitchell.
With junior pitcher
Haley Arnold-Jolley (0-4) on for her second relief inning in the seventh, two singles and a double only produced one run for Cal Poly Humboldt before three straight outs secured the 11-5 victory for the Knights. Rhoades would collect the win with three runs allowed on seven hits and two walks plus two strikeouts in 5.0 innings.
GAME 2 – HUM 12, ART U 1 (5)
A four-run first inning saw the Jacks score three unearned runs following an error then one more score in the fifth made it 5-0. Academy of Art used small ball to get one back in the third after Mitchell led off with a single, was bunted to second, and later came home on an error.
Though ART U got another leadoff single in the fourth, this one from Mittman, the comeback attempt was halted and Cal Poly Humboldt went on to score six in the fifth, contributing to an early end to the contest at 12-1.
Leading the day's results that put Academy of Art at 2-22 overall, Humphreys was 2-for-5 with four runs batted in during the first contest (tied for sixth in ART U's single-game history) plus a triple and a run scored. Edeker added a 1-for-2 effort in that game, logging the first two RBIs of her career with the Knights. The first seven spots in the lineup all posted at least one hit and scored a run highlighted by Rasmussen and Henderson combining to go 2-for-6 with four runs scored and three stolen bases. Sanchez and Mitchell were also 2-for-6 with one RBI apiece.
Splitting their third doubleheader in three days, Cal Poly Humboldt moves to 11-15 overall this season. JoAna Mullins ended 2-for-3 with five RBIs, a double, a run scored, and a stolen base while Alyssa Ramirez added a 2-for-5 day with a homer, four RBIs, and two runs scored.
Non-conference play continues for the Knights next as they face SF State on the road this Wednesday, Mar. 16 for a noon doubleheader.
