ATHERTON, Calif. – Holding a lead essentially through all 14 innings of Saturday's Pacific West Conference series finale with Menlo, Academy of Art softball got to work right away, outhitting the Oaks in an 8-2 victory to begin the afternoon then limiting the other side to just two hits as sophomore pitcher/utility Kayla Vaughan (7-14) wrapped up an impressive week in the circle with a 3-1 win in tow.

GAME 1 – ART U 8, MC 2
After the day's first two batters got themselves into scoring position, a double steal for senior utility Alexis Folks and junior infielder Audrey Allen put a run on the board. Senior catcher/infielder Liberty Herrera added one more to her side's tally with a sacrifice fly three batters later and that 2-0 advantage would hold for the next three innings as junior pitcher Kamielle Powell (3-18) allowed just one hit in that span.

The ART U lead doubled in the fourth when Vaughan's first career triple soon helped her cross home plate on another double steal before an error plated a second run. In the sixth inning, Allen singled in one of two runners in scoring position then freshman Riannah Maulupe singled in the other and, after she helped Academy of Art swipe its sixth stolen base of the contest (tying for the seventh-most in program history), sophomore outfielder Ari Mallari offered a sacrifice fly for the 7-0 margin.

Powell, who had held Menlo scoreless through the first five innings, ran into trouble in the sixth, but Vaughan came on in relief and kept a bases-loaded and no-out situation to just two runs allowed capped by the Knights' fourth runner caught stealing of the series. Folks doubled home one more on the way out in the seventh before Vaughan and the ART U defense retired the side in order for an 8-2 final.

GAME 2 – ART U 3, MC 1
Similar to how the day started, Academy of Art's first three batters all reached as Allen's 34th career double (fifth in program history) delivered the first of three runs with an error and groundout resulting in the 3-0 margin.

Six straight Oaks were retired by Vaughan before her first hit was surrendered in the third, but she remained sharp and did not allow a run until the fourth. There, it was just one on a sacrifice fly and the Illustration major proceeded to sit down each of the last 12 batters she faced, working to secure the 3-1 win with just two hits and three walks allowed alongside one strikeout in 7.0 innings pitched.

The Urban Knights' four-game win streak elevates their overall record to 10-33 and their PacWest record to 8-20. Folks (3-for-6), Allen (3-for-8), and junior infielder/catcher Olivia Glover (3-for-5) each had hits in both contests including at least one double as the first added two runs batted in and two runs scored, the middle provided two RBIs and three runs scored, and the latter scored twice as well. Maulupe, who drove in two on the day, was 3-for-3 in the first game which also saw Vaughan go 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a triple. Mallari's 2-for-5 afternoon was highlighted by two runs batted in.

With now an 11-game losing streak, Menlo now sits at 8-32 on the year and 7-19 in conference play. Jolena Velasquez had runs driven in during each contest, ending the day 1-for-4. Rosaline Torralava (2-3) lasted just 1.1 innings in the opening contest, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks before Shelby White (3-12) surrendered one earned run on six hits with one walk and one strikeout in 7.0 complete innings.

Academy of Art starts its penultimate series of the season, a home/away pair of noon doubleheaders with Jessup, in Brisbane on Apr. 18.