CHICO, Calif. – Academy of Art softball began its second week of the season battling tough pitching while freshman pitcher
Kamielle Powell (1-3) continued to stack scoreless frames at University Softball Field on Friday. The Urban Knights kept Chico State off the scoreboard the rest of the way after one run in the first, but ended up falling 1-0 in the end then, despite tying the day's second game in the sixth, a late push by Stanislaus State earned the Warriors the 2-1 victory.
GAME 1 – CHICO 1, ART U 0
In what would turn out to be a difference-making rally, a pair of singles sandwiched a stolen base as the Wildcats struck first for a single run in the opening inning. Powell entered following a scoreless second frame and proceeded to retire five of the first six batters she faced.
Powell would exit a jam in the fifth, inducing a force play at home then a lineout followed by Chico State's runner leaving early all with the bases loaded and no outs. The astute ART U defense showed again in the sixth where a sacrifice fly was again erased on a flyout and another runner left early, setting up one final opportunity in the seventh. However, Amelie Valdez (2-1) managed to complete the shutout, securing the 1-0 win for her side.
GAME 2 – STAN 2, ART U 1
A leadoff walk and a stolen base later resulted in the Warriors taking a 1-0 lead with a single. Though two Urban Knights were aboard in the third following singles by freshman catcher
Alexus Sorenson and freshman infielder
Audrey Allen then senior outfielder
Bethany Mitchell doubled to lead off the fourth, Academy of Art could not find the equalizer.
That changed in the sixth, however, when junior infielder
Haley Randall drew a one-out walk then reached second on a wild pitch, bringing up the team's runs batted in leader in junior infielder
Katie Humphreys. Zeroing in on the ball she wanted, Humphreys fouled off a pair before sending a single into center, scoring her teammate to tie things up.
Powell needed just eight pitches to post her fourth consecutive three-up, three-down inning in the sixth, but her streak of retired batters would end at 12 when a single began the seventh. One out later, the Warriors produced the single that untied a 1-1 ballgame, immediately giving them the 2-1 victory.
Academy of Art now owns a 1-5 record with three losses coming by one run. Powell finished her day with just one run allowed on seven hits and two strikeouts in a combined 8.1 innings, lowering her earned run average to 2.19 through the first 22.1 innings pitched of her collegiate career. Humphreys' 2-for-3 game two at the plate saw her drive in her fifth RBI of the season.
Chico State moves to 3-3 on the year after its lone run batted in came as part of Grace Gallagher's 3-for-3 effort and Valdez struck out nine with no runs allowed over 7.0 innings pitched.
Stanislaus State starts the season 1-0 with singular RBIs from Karli Dalblanco and Avery Fitch as part of their combined 2-for-3 day while Kyndra Marzorini (0-0) struck out eight with one run allowed across 6.0 innings, but the victory went to Victoria Alarcon after her scoreless final inning.
The Urban Knights will rematch both teams tomorrow at University Softball Field, beginning with the Warriors at 9:30 a.m. ahead of the Wildcats at noon.
