Box Score #1
Box Score #2
Belmont, CA – The Urban Knights' softball team resumed play with a double header against Notre Dame de Namur University on Saturday afternoon. AAU had slow starts to both games before they were able to get things going. In game one, the Academy of Art University rallied late to win the game 5-3. It was almost the same story for the women in game two. After scoring late to tie things up, the Knights came up short in the bottom of the eighth inning and lost to the Argos with a score of 2-3.
It was a pitcher's duel for the first three innings in game one. Both team's pitchers did well at keeping their opponents' bats off balance. Finally in the top of the fourth the Knights jumped on the board. They scored one run when senior Shampayne Clay hit a single to left, scoring junior Ashley Lokey from third. The Argos answered right back with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. The Knights then broke the tie by scoring another run in the top of the sixth when Lokey was able to score from third on a wild pitch. But again, the Argos came back in the bottom of the inning to tie things back up at two apiece.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Urban Knights' offense exploded and they were able to score three runs when freshman Nicole Smith hit a double to bring in two runs. Smith would later score on an error by the shortstop. AAU then managed to hold the Argos quiet in the bottom of the seventh to secure their win.
Lokey had an outstanding game at the plate for the Urban Knights. She went 4-4 with a stolen base, and three runs scored. Smith also did well going 1-4 with one run, and two runs batted in. Both sophomore Sierrah Garcia and freshman Julie Martin went 1-3 in the game.
Freshman Kimberly Dauer was on the mound for the Knights and received the win in the game. Dauer went all seven innings pitched giving up five hits, one earned run (three total), and had three strikeouts.
For the Argos, Nicole Burr had a good game going 1-3 with a home run, one run, and one RBI. Danielle Gray did well going 1-3 with one run batted in, and Sammy McConvey also went 1-3 with a double, and one run.
McConvey was also in the circle for NDNU. She went seven innings pitched giving up nine hits, three earned runs, and posted three strikeouts.
The Urban Knights scored five runs on nine hits, left five runners on base, and committed three errors.
The Argos jumped out to an early lead in game two when they scored one run in the bottom of the first inning. From there, both team's pitchers again went to work as they shut down their opponents. No runs were scored by either team through the following four innings. In the bottom of the sixth, the Argos scored one more run to add to their lead heading into the seventh.
Junior Alana Aweau led the seventh off with a solo home run that was lined over the right-center fence. Then with two outs and a runner on second, it seemed as if the Urban Knights were not going to be able to come back. Lokey battled at the plate with two strikes, fouling off several pitches, before she finally broke through with a single up the middle, scoring Martin from second. That tied the game 2-2 heading into the eighth.
But the Urban Knights could not hold on to their defense in the eight. After walking the leadoff batter, they got the next out. Then they struck out the following batter, but the ball got away from the catcher, advancing the runner from second to third; and a bad throw to first allowed the go-ahead run to score. Even though AAU outhit the Argos, they fell short of the come back and lost 2-3.
Aweau put up big numbers in the game going 2-3 with a double, a home run, one run scored, and one run batted in. Lokey went 2-4 with one run batted in, and Martin went 1-3 with a run scored.
Garcia revied the loss for AAU. She went 7.1 innings pitched giving up just three hits, two earned runs (three total), one walk, and had 10 strikeouts.
Lead hitters for NDNU were Carli Leary who went 1-3 with a homerun, one run, and one RBI, Mary Ortega who went 1-3 with one run, and Robin Araujo who went 1-3 with a RBI.
Ortega recorded the win in the game going eight innings pitched. She gave up six hits, two earned runs, one walk, and had three strikeouts.
The Urban Knights scored two runs on six hits, left six runners on base, and had one error.
After the split, the Academy of Art University's record is at 21-19 overall, and 11-11 in the PacWest, while Notre Dame de Namur University's record is 11-29 overall, and 7-15 in the PacWest. The two teams play each other again tomorrow, April 11th. The Urban Knights will act as the home team in both games per PacWest conference rules. Game times are scheduled for 1:00 and 3:00 PM at Notre Dame High School in Belmont, CA.
