ATHERTON, Calif. – Literally weathering the storms from earlier in the week which altered their schedule, Academy of Art softball finally had its opportunity to face off against Chaminade at Menlo's Wunderlich Field on Thursday. The Pacific West Conference doubleheader saw ART U battle back against the Silverswords' early advantage in the opening contest, even taking a lead on a run-scoring double from senior catcher/utility
Cassandra Mittman, before CUH scored five times in the seventh to win 8-4. After the sides exchanged two-run rallies to start game two, it was Chaminade who added on and managed to outlast the Urban Knights 8-5 in the end.
GAME 1 – CUH 8, ART U 4
Though the Silverswords led 3-0 after the day's first two innings, the margin would not last as a leadoff single by senior outfielder
Bethany Mitchell was promptly followed up by junior infielder
Haley Randall's first triple of the season to put Academy of Art on the scoreboard. The contest was then tied on three hits and an error in the fourth as junior utility
Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki legged out a bunt single, forcing CUH's catcher to rush a throw to first which allowed a run to score. Mitchell then connected on her second hit of the game, knotting things at 3-3.
Freshman pitcher
Kamielle Powell (3-9) then provided a shutdown inning on just six pitches, setting up Mittman's double which plated freshman infielder
Audrey Allen after she began the fifth with a single. Powell wound up retiring seven straight, but ran into trouble in the seventh where Chaminade used six hits to produce five runs, ultimately taking the 8-4 win.
GAME 2 – CUH 8, ART U 5
For the second consecutive game, the Silverswords were up 2-0 by the time the first three outs were made, but now it was the Knights' turn to answer as three straight hits started the bottom of the first inning with Mitchell doubling, Randall bringing her home on a single, and Allen doubling in Randall. Momentum shifted back the other way with two more runs for Chaminade in the second then again in the fourth.
The fifth frame saw Grayhorse-Pupecki manufacture a run on a walk, stolen base, and a fielding error before she struck again in the sixth, doubling home a pair to bring ART U within one run at 6-5. For the third occasion in game two alone, CUH came back with another two-run rally in the seventh for the eventual victory 8-5.
Academy of Art, now 3-21 overall and 0-8 in PacWest play, had its top five batters in the lineup each record at least one hit in both contests, led by Randall's 3-for-8 day which included two runs batted in, one run scored, a double, a triple, and a stolen base as her current reached base streak elevates to six games. Mitchell was nearly identical, going 3-for-8 with one RBI and two runs scored plus a double. Grayhorse-Pupecki ended an efficient 3-for-5 with two driven in, her double, triple, and stolen base all coming in the second contest.
Chaminade, who rise to 13-11 on the season and 6-8 in conference games, got five runs batted in off the bat of Larchelle Tuifao who finished the afternoon 5-for-8 with a double. Both pitcher wins came in relief as Ashley Ogata (4-3) took the first with no runs allowed on one hit with one strikeout in 2.2 innings and Bailey Benson (4-5) collected the second, surrendering three runs on four hits with one walk in 5.0 innings.
Waiting until next week in Turlock to finish its series with Chaminade, ART U now turns its attention to Hawaii Pacific whom the Knights host for noon doubleheaders at Mission Blue Field (Mar. 24) and West Valley College's Viking Field (Mar. 25).
