BRISBANE, Calif. – Academy of Art softball swung for double-digit hits in both games against Azusa Pacific on Tuesday, rallying for at least four runs on four separate occasions for the near sweep in Pacific West Conference action at Mission Blue Field. Up 8-2 after two innings of the first contest, the Urban Knights were supported by freshman pitcher
Julia Jordan's five frames of relief with just one unearned run allowed toward an 8-5 victory. The series finale was locked at 9-9 heading into the seventh, but the Cougars escaped with the win 10-9.
GAME 1 – ART U 8, APU 5
A lengthy first inning of the afternoon saw Azusa Pacific score once then three singles and a walk began Academy of Art's four-run bottom of the first. Senior catcher/infielder
Lauryn Henderson and junior catcher/utility
Cassandra Mittman each drove in runs with their swings then it was sophomore pitcher/infielder
Katie Humphreys who doubled home a pair for the 4-1 lead.
The Knights kept their hard-hitting momentum rolling in the next frame with Henderson plating one on a two-out double, an error scoring one, then the table being reset on singles from freshman utility
Elle Edeker and graduate student utility
Nina Vallejos. Another APU miscue brought in two more and an 8-2 advantage.
Though the Cougars homered in the next inning, Jordan was then called upon and utilized a double play plus a strikeout to preserve her team's 8-4 margin. She struck out another in the fourth and worked through an error that resulted in an unearned run in the fifth. After getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, she cruised with three straight outs in the seventh to finish off the 8-5 victory.
Jordan collected her first collegiate win with no earned runs allowed on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 5.0 relief innings.
GAME 2 – APU 10, ART U 9
Much like the first contest, Azusa Pacific struck first, but was met with another four-run surge from the Knights in the bottom half of the opening inning. The first five Academy of Art batters reached base as Henderson and Mittman each provided run-scoring singles in a bit of déjà vu. Following the same script, Humphreys came through in the clutch, clearing the bases on a two-run single with two outs.
Sophomore pitcher
Jolene Rhoades (0-10) retired the side on nine pitches in the second frame, but an unearned run for APU shortened the gap to 4-3 in the third. A close game changed dramatically in the next half inning where Mittman led off with a double and soon back-to-back run-scoring singles from Humphreys and junior outfielder
Bethany Mitchell kept the line moving. The five-run push concluded with sophomore infielder
Haley Randall's two-run single and Henderson's sacrifice fly to suddenly make it a 9-3 ballgame.
Though Rhoades shut down Azusa Pacific in the third, the Cougars homered twice during a three-run fifth to start their comeback. Three more crossed home plate in the sixth which set up a 9-9 deadlock as the seventh got underway. Small ball put APU in a position to eventually score once on a double down the left field line and the 10-9 final would hold up through the last frame.
In the first game, eight Urban Knights registered hits and another eight scored runs in the series finale. Now 1-21 on the season and 1-7 in PacWest action, Academy of Art was led by Humphreys' five runs driven in and a double with her 3-for-7 combined effort while Henderson plated four on a 3-for-6 day that featured a double and two runs scored and Mittman was 5-for-8 with two doubles, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Randall went 3-for-7 with two RBIs and two runs scored as well.
Azusa Pacific moves to 12-9 overall and 6-2 in conference play with Tuesday's results. Offensively, Caitlin Decanio drove in five as part of a 2-for-6 day that included a pair of home runs. In the circle, Katie Korstrom (5-1) finished the twin bill with no runs allowed on five hits and eight strikeouts in 8.0 innings, picking up the win in the finale.
ART U will next turn its attention to a non-conference doubleheader hosting Cal Poly Humboldt this Sunday, Mar. 13 at noon.
