GAME #37, 38 (Doubleheader)
AAU Urban Knights (10-26) vs Sonoma State Seawolves (26-19)
Friday April 10, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM
Rohnert Park, CA Seawolf Field
THE WEEK AHEAD:
The Urban Knights split their last game against Menlo College (8-3, 4-5) which brings their win total into the double digits with just eight games remaining in the season. The Urban Knights hope to bring home a win or two this Friday as they battle the No. 6 nationally ranked Sonoma State Seawolves on their home field in Rohnert Park. The Urban Knights have already knocked off a nationally ranked opponent this year, will history repeat itself?
LOOKING BEYOND:
The two game series marks the Knights fourth game in two days. AAU will take on a 26-19 SSU team Friday afternoon; first pitch is set for 1:00PM and 3:00PM. After the double-header AAU will wind down their season facing just three more opponents (6 more games) before wrapping up their 2009 inaugural season.
SCOUTING THE SEAWOLVES
Sonoma State University is going to be a tough match-up for the Academy of Art University Urban Knights as they travel to take on the Seawolves on their home field, a field in which they have only dropped a total of five games so far this season. After a 3-3 record at the Tournament of Champions, the Sonoma State softball team dropped two spots in the latest NCAA West Region rankings, to No. 6. The Seawolves have five players who have started 40 or more games this season, and who have a batting average of .300 and higher. They are led by sophomore Kayla Ledford who leads the team in at bats (136). Ledford also has a .338 batting average and has racked up 28 RBIs, the most on the team, and has hit one homerun. Brittany Martinez has the teams' highest batting average, .351, and has a .423 slugging percentage. The Seawolves top pitchers have a combined record of 20-12. Lindsay Emmel, 10-9, has an ERA of 1.95 and has pitched 118 innings, given up 41 runs (33 earned), and thrown 120 strikeouts. Brittany Williams has an ERA of 2.85, and is 10-3 on the season.
LAST SERIES RECAP: OAKS
The Academy of Art University split a double header with Menlo College Wednesday afternoon. Offense was alive for the Urban Knights as they took the first game with a score of 8-3, but then fell short in the night cap. The Academy of Art University ended up losing game two to the Oaks in the bottom of the eighth inning with a final score of 5-4.
The Urban Knights came out in full swing during the first game. Wasting no time, they scored three runs in the top of the first inning. Jacqueline Nieves (Victorville, CA) started things off with a double down the left field line. Alana Aweau (Fairfield, CA) then hit a long fly ball, well over the fence in left-center field for a two run homerun. Shampayne Clay (San Leandro, CA) and Nicole Palmer (Yorba Linda, CA)followed with singles of their own, and Melissa Coe (Oakley, CA) singled to center to score Clay from second. With a three run lead in the first, the Urban Knights were confident and took control of the game.
Palmer (who relieved Garcia in the top of the sixth) not only had a great day on the mound, but she had an outstanding game at the plate as well. She went 4-4 with a homerun, two runs scored, and one run batted in. Alana Aweau (Fairfield, CA) and Clay also had good games each going 2-4, with a homerun, two runs scored and two runs batted in. Coe also went 2-4 with a run batted in.
The second game got off to a much slower start for the Urban Knights. It would soon prove to be a hitter's duel throughout the game. This time, the Oaks took the early lead by posting a run in the bottom of the first inning. But the Urban Knights came back in the top of the third. With timely hitting, and execution of bunts, the Academy of Art University was able to score a run of their own, making it a 1-1 ballgame.
The Urban Knights took the lead in the top of the fourth, when Crista Sykes (Sacramento, CA) hit a solo homerun over the centerfield fence. The Oaks answered right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning, again taking the lead, this time by a score of 3-2. The Academy of Art University was quick to fight back as they pushed two runs across in the top of the sixth. Again Sykes homered to lead the inning off, this time to left. Ericka Ames (Temecula, CA)followed with a single and after advancing on the bases from her teammate's sacrifice hits, she was able to score off Aweau's single. The Urban Knights now had a 4-3 lead. But the 4-3 lead was not enough to seal the win. A misplayed fly ball in the outfield, led to a triple for the oaks. The next Menlo batter grounded to short stop, and a throwing error allowed to batter to reach first safely and the runner on third to score. Those errors proved costly, as the Academy of Art University lost the game with a final score of 5-4.
Academy of Art University's Sykes went 3-4 in the game with two homeruns, two runs scored and two runs batted in.Amesalso did well going 2-3 with a run scored, and Nieves went 2-3 in the game.
