Games #18 & 19
ART U Urban Knights (7-10, 3-5 PacWest) vs. Azusa Pacific Cougars (8-6, 1-1 PacWest)
Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 9 a.m. & 11 a.m.
Hayward, Calif. – Chabot College
Live Stats | Live Video

Games #20 & 21
ART U Urban Knights (7-10, 3-5 PacWest) vs. Azusa Pacific Cougars (8-6, 1-1 PacWest)
Friday, March 8, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Hayward, Calif. – Chabot College
Live Stats | Live Video

ART U WRAPS UP HOMESTAND WITH AZUSA PACIFIC IN TOWN
Playing what will be its 11th through 14th consecutive home games since mid-February, Academy of Art softball prepares to host Azusa Pacific this week as Pacific West Conference play continues on.

FIRST PITCH
Academy of Art meets Azusa Pacific for the first time this season in a four-game series, spanning Thursday, Mar. 7 (9 a.m.) and Friday, Mar. 8 (10:30 a.m.) at Chabot College in Hayward with start times. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps. 

KNIGHT WATCH
Sitting atop the PacWest in batting average (.269), tied for first in triples (4), and second in runs scored (60), runs batted in (54), and stolen bases (23), Academy of Art has rode the offensive production of quite a few bats. Junior utility Alexis Folks is back up to the team's leader in batting average at .358 (fifth in PacWest) while sophomore infielder Audrey Allen remains not far behind hitting .345 (seventh in PacWest) with team-highs of six doubles (first in PacWest) and 13 RBIs (third in PacWest). Back of that pair, senior outfielder Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki is hitting .316 with 10 runs scored (third in PacWest) and five extra-base hits, senior infielder Katie Humphreys checks in at .300, and senior infielder Haley Randall has driven in 10 (fifth in PacWest) with her .280 batting average. Showing off her speed thus far in 2024, freshman outfielder Lida Wos has scored 11 runs (first in PacWest) while remaining a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases to lead the conference.

In the pitching circle, ART U's freshman duo of Kayla Vaughan (3-3, 3.20) and Alyssa Fullmer (3-2, 3.90) offer earned run averages under 4.00  each have earned run averages under 4.00 with both among the PacWest's top 20. Vaughan's 39.1 innings pitched have her sixth in the conference while her 30 strikeouts are fifth-most (first among non-seniors/grad students).

COUGARS COMING TO TOWN
After four of its first seven games were canceled, Azusa Pacific picked up its first victories of the year as part of a 7-1 stretch that included sweeps of Cal State San Bernardino and No. 19 Adelphi. The Cougars most recently split with Biola to officially begin conference play and are slated to face Menlo on Mar. 6 prior to meeting Academy of Art. Power has been APU's greatest offensive asset as the squad's 13 homers pace the PacWest while the team's collective 1.24 ERA is second and has included four shutouts. Caitlin DeCaino (.270) and Aly Montesino (.378, fourth in PacWest) have combined to hit eight home runs and drive in 14 in addition to Katie Korstrom (5-1) leading the conference with a 0.32 ERA plus 39 strikeouts (fourth in PacWest) over 44.0 innings of work (fifth in PacWest). The Cougars have had the upper hand versus ART U most recently, holding a 17-9 lead historically.

PACWEST SERIES CONCLUDES WITH #24 CONCORDIA TOPPING ART U
The final two games of Academy of Art softball's Pacific West Conference series hosting No. 24 Concordia from Pioneer Field saw the Urban Knights once again score multiple runs against one of the top defensive teams in the country, but end result was two wins, 6-2 and 9-3, for the Golden Eagles on Feb. 28.

ON THE HORIZON
Ahead of five non-conference games in the Tournament of Champions, ART U will play two more PacWest contests at Dominican on Mar. 16 in San Rafael.