ATHERTON, Calif. – While still delivering 23 hits on Saturday, Academy of Art softball was propelled to a sweep of Menlo thanks to the efforts of freshman pitchers Alyssa Fullmer (1-0) and Kayla Vaughan (1-1) who combined to allow just three runs in 11.0 combined innings at Wunderlich Field. ART U never trailed in the day's opening contest as rallies in the second and fourth innings combined with Fullmer's defense toward a 4-2 final. The series finale was tied heading into the sixth frame where a triple by senior outfielder Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki helped give the Urban Knights an 8-5 lead Vaughan and those behind her would not relinquish.

GAME 1 – ART U 4, Menlo 2
Academy of Art scored twice in the second inning after singles by senior infielder Katie Humphreys and junior catcher/infielder Liberty Herrera set up freshman outfielder Lida Wos for her first collegiate run batted in on an infield error. The Urban Knights then took advantage of another Oaks miscue as Wos stole second and an errant throw allowed Liberty to score for the 2-0 lead.

After Menlo scratched across a run in the third, Academy of Art capitalized on a Menlo error in the fourth following singles by Herrera and Wos that put two on for senior outfielder Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki to reach via a fielding miscue, pushing the margin to 4-1.

Making her first collegiate start, Fullmer, who needed just 55 pitches to get through the first five innings, surrendered a solo home run in the sixth, but was able to get the outs she needed to keep the game at 4-2. That score remained when sophomore pitcher Kamielle Powell (0-1) entered in the seventh inning and, starting with an impressive defensive play by sophomore infielder Audrey Allen, secured the first save of her collegiate career with a scoreless frame.

GAME 2 – ART U 8, Menlo 5
A resounding double by junior utility Alexis Folks began the series finale and, with two on, Randall offered a sacrifice fly ahead of Allen's run-scoring single for the initial 2-0 lead. Three walks and two hits produced three runs for Menlo in the home half of the first then another was plated in the second on a double as the first game score had reversed with the Oaks now ahead 4-2.

Vaughan quickly retired the side in the third before the fourth saw Wos deliver a run on a single and Folks plate two with a double to cut the difference to 4-3. The Oaks countered with a run in their part of the fourth frame, but an inning-ending double play was initiated by Vaughan to keep the game deadlocked at 5-5.

After both Wos and Folks got aboard and executed a double steal in the sixth, Grayhorse-Pupecki's first triple since she broke the single-season and career record last year brought in the go-ahead run. Senior infielder Haley Randall and Humphreys each drove in another, pushing the ART U advantage to 8-5.

Coming in with at least one strikeout in all but one of her five innings, including two clutch ones to end the sixth, Vaughan shut down the Oaks in the crucial late frames. She finished off the 8-5 victory by exiting a seventh-inning jam that had the tying run at the plate with three consecutive outs including another swinging strikeout.

Academy of Art completes its first series of the year at 2-2 overall with Humphreys and Herrera combining for a 4-for-7 first game that included three runs scored before the top five in the ART U game two lineup registered multiple hits plus at least one run batted in paced by Folks' 3-for-5, two-RBI effort. Wos ended with four stolen bases on the day, Grayhorse-Pupecki and Randall each tripled, and the trio of Folks, Randall, and Allen ended with at least one hit in each game of the series. Fullmer's first collegiate win came on the strength of 6.0 innings pitched and just two runs allowed on eight hits while Vaughan struck out five and surrendered only one run on three hits across 5.0 relief innings.

Through the opening weekend of play, Menlo moves to 2-2 overall as Emma Medina's three RBIs plus a double led the way for the Oaks.

The Urban Knights will next match up with their first NCAA Division II opponents of the season as Stanislaus State, Chico State, Cal State Monterey Bay, and Sonoma State await in SSU's North Bay Challenge on Feb. 10-11.