HONOLULU – Though the Pacific West Conference series began with Academy of Art softball jumping out to a 4-0 lead, the Urban Knights could not rally against Chaminade's 7-4 game one comeback then, in a reversal of roles, ART U scored three runs in the seventh to force extra innings, but the doubleheader finale concluded with the Silverswords on top 6-5 in the 10th frame out at Silversword Field At Sand Island Park on Saturday. 

GAME 1 – CUH 7, ART U 4
Academy of Art reached the scoreboard right away to begin the series as senior outfielder Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki tripled home junior utility Alexis Folks in the opening stanza. An eventful third inning then had a pair of two-out singles come from Grayhorse-Pupecki and senior infielder Haley Randall ahead of a two-run single by senior infielder Katie Humphreys with the bases loaded.

That 4-0 advantage would soon be cut in half, however, because three hits yielded two runs for the Silverswords in the home half of the third. Chaminade the put together a four-run fifth inning to take the lead and added another insurance run in the sixth for the eventual 7-4 final score.

GAME 2 – CUH 6, ART U 5 (10)
The second contest followed a different script as the Silverswords found themselves ahead 4-1 just two innings in after Humphreys' single had again followed that of Randall to put the Knights on the board. That familiar 4-2 difference appeared in the third after Grayhorse-Pupecki's second run-scoring triple of the afternoon and it would hold through multiple scoreless innings exchanged by freshman pitcher Kayla Vaughan (3-14) and her CUH counterpart.

Facing a 5-2 deficit at the beginning of the seventh, Academy of Art used clutch hits to rally once more as a leadoff walk by sophomore infielder Olivia Glover led to the first run on a single by sophomore utility Marissa "Roo" Menard then Grayhorse-Pupecki delivered another with a double plus the game-tying run on an error.

The 5-5 ballgame progressed through scoreless eighth and ninth frames, before coming to an unfortunate end in the 10th when a bunt single was followed by an error that allowed the runner originally placed at second to score, finishing the CUH victory at 6-5. Vaughan would complete 9.0 innings to match her season-high while allowing four earned runs on 13 hits with three walks and one strikeout.

Academy of Art, now 8-30 this season and 4-20 in PacWest action, had quite a day from Grayhorse-Pupecki who ended 4-for-9 with three runs batted in, one run scored, a double, and a triple. Humphreys also drove in three as part of a 3-for-7 effort while multi-hit performances in both contests had Folks at 4-for-9 with two runs scored. Randall finished 3-for-8 with one RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. In the circle in game one, Alyssa Fullmer (4-8) allowed just three earned runs in 5.0 innings of work, walking one and striking out one.

The day's results put Chaminade at 14-15 overall and 10-8 versus conference opponents. Keaolani Takemura-Brehme wrapped up the afternoon with three RBIs, two runs scored, a double, and a triple while Kamryn Lopez (8-4) picked up both victories, allowing just five hits and one walk through 7.2 scoreless innings.

Silversword Field At Sand Island Park will once again be the site for ART U and CUH as the two teams finish their conference series tomorrow starting at noon HT (3 p.m. PT).