ST. GEORGE, Utah – Two days removed from a pair of narrow losses to No. 15 California Baptist, Academy of Art University Softball once again pushed a nationally-ranked team to the brink, doing so in its ESPN debut. The Urban Knights fought No. 19 Dixie State into extra innings in the first contest, tying the game in the sixth before an epic back-and-forth stretch in which ART U took three separate leads, but the Trailblazers rallied back each time before winning 8-7 in the ninth. Though DSU got ahead early in game two, both teams' regular season finale, Academy of Art responded with a comeback attempt that saw them bring the go-ahead run to the plate in the seventh before falling 8-5.

"Today was a big stage against a very good opponent," said head coach Sonja Garnett. "Our team battled all day and performed really well at the plate."

GAME 1 – DSU 8, ART U 7 (9) 
Including the strikeout she dealt the first batter she faced, freshman pitcher Brooke Larsen (21-5) retired seven of the first Trailblazers to come to the plate while her team put at least one runner into scoring position in each of the first two innings against Cambrie Hazel (16-3). Dixie State then managed to break the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third on a pair of singles with a walk.

DSU would threaten once more in the fourth, but after loading the bases with no outs, a huge defensive play was made by junior infielder Brenna Youngquist at first base. She snagged a line-drive then immediately touched first for a double play and the crisis was soon averted with a diving catch in shallow left center after a long run by sophomore outfielder Gabi Hirsch.

In the fifth, the Trailblazers benefited from an error with two outs that pushed them ahead 2-0, but that margin was erased in one swing from senior infielder Samantha Klune in the top of the sixth. After senior utility Brenna Mitchell reached on an error, Klune crushed a two-run game-tying homer to left and the teams soon headed to the seventh knotted up at 2-2.

A leadoff walk and hit batter put ART U in prime position to take a lead in the seventh and they would combine speed on the bases with a throwing error into a 3-2 advantage. Facing a must-score situation, Dixie State came through with a hit batter and a run-scoring single, but was kept from plating any more and the teams moved to the eighth tied 3-3.

On the seventh pitch of a two-out at-bat in the frame, Youngquist got hold of one and sent it beyond leftfield for a solo home run. Now up 4-3, Academy of Art came within one out of a victory in the bottom of the eighth, but after small-ball got a runner to third, the Trailblazers retied the game with a single and the ninth inning ensued.

In a pinch-hit spot, freshman pitcher Cecilia Lopez provided a leadoff single which was followed by a single from Hirsch and suddenly the Knights were in business once again. Run-scoring singles by Mitchell and Larsen plus a bases-loaded walk for Youngquist built a 7-4 lead as the bottom of the ninth began.

Continuing the rollercoaster ride, Dixie State worked the bases loaded with no outs and started their comeback with a run-scoring single sandwiched by two runs batted in on fielder's choices. The more than three and a half hour game came to an unfortunate end for ART U when a fielding error with two outs resulted in an 8-7 walk-off victory for the Trailblazers.

GAME 2 – DSU 8, ART U 5
Dixie State carried its momentum into the second contest with three runs in the first inning, another in the second, and a 4-0 lead by the time Academy of Art had its first base-runner in the third. It was not until the fourth, however, that the Knights got onto the scoreboard with a Klune single through the left side to score freshman infielder Jayda Alaan and then a sacrifice fly from Larsen.

Now a 4-2 ballgame with Lopez (10-6) working into a good rhythm after coming in as a reliever, ART U highlighted the bottom of the fourth with an impressive relay throw from Larsen in right field to sophomore infielder Gracie Sotomayor to Alaan to take out an aggressive DSU hitter trying to turn a double into more.

The teams continued to trade zeroes on the scoreboard until the sixth when four Trailblazer hits produced four runs and an 8-2 lead heading into the seventh. Instead of prematurely giving in, however, Academy of Art went right to work, getting a two-run homer from Youngquist as the comeback began. Mitchell later delivered a run on a double with two on and, after Klune was hit by a pitch, ART U found itself in an 8-5 game with the go-ahead run at the plate. Though the very next pitch was hit hard, it ended up in the glove of the second baseman and DSU would narrowly escape 8-5 victors.

"This team never quits even in the late innings with the game on the line, we continued to fight pitch to pitch," said Garnett. "We knew the mistakes that we made in game one, but we also knew the things that we were doing really well so we wanted to carry the momentum of those positives into the second game. It took us a few innings, but we rebounded and got our bats going again."

The Knights complete their regular season with the best record in program history at 39-16 overall and 22-10 in PacWest play. Youngquist went 3-for-9 with two home runs (now three from tying assistant coach Alana Aweau's career record), four runs batted in, and ended up tying the program's single-season walks record with her 34th free pass in game two. Klune added a 3-for-8 doubleheader that included a homer and three RBIs while Mitchell drove in two as part of a 3-for-9 performance with a double. Hirsch saw her reached-base streak end at 25 despite her 3-for-8 twinbill. Larsen, who went 8.0 innings of game one with six earned runs on 11 hits and four walks plus three strikeouts, went 2-for-8 with two RBIs and a double on the day.

"We faced a lot of adversity in these games today and I'm very proud of our grit and the contributions we saw throughout our lineup," said Garnett.

Dixie State wraps up its regular season with a 38-8 overall record and 22-8 in conference play. Bailey Gaffin completed the doubleheader 5-for-8 with five RBIs, Brenna Hinck went 5-for-7 with two driven in, and Preseason PacWest Player of the Year Janessa Bassett was held to a 2-for-8 day after she finished game two 0-for-4.

Looking at potentially making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Academy of Art will discover its fate when the Regional announcement from the NCAA comes this Monday, May 7 at 7 a.m. PT.