Box Score #1
Box Score #2

Waipahu, HI – It was a breakout day for an Academy of Art University softball team that combined to register 25 hits through its sweep of a doubleheader with Chaminade at Central Oahu Regional Park. After an 8-0 mercy rule victory in game one where junior starting pitcher Kimberly Dauer threw a two-hit shutout, the Urban Knights and Silverswords were locked in a back-and-forth battle in the second contest. ART U eventually prevailed 8-5 thanks in large part to freshman infielder Taylor Thurman who had clutch hits all day, finishing 5-for-8 with a double, five runs batted in, and three runs scored. The 2012 Knights are now 4-4 in Hawaii thus far.

"Overall I think our hitters adjusted well and hit a lot more runners in, but we still stranded a lot of potential runs," head coach Rachel Sherman said. "Everyone is contributing in some way or another and that is really helping us win."

After loading the bases to start game one, Academy of Art (11-20, 7-9 PacWest) had Thurman get hit by a pitch to score sophomore infielder Lauren Stover who had reached on an error previously. The Urban Knights continued to put pressure on CUH starter Brett Aspel (2-7) would then put together a three-run rally in the third inning when Thurman drilled an RBI double to left, junior Jayme Stewart hit a sacrifice fly to score another, and sophomore outfielder Elyse Cordova capped it off with an RBI single.

Dauer (7-8) hit her spots early and kept Chaminade (6-10, 5-5 PacWest) off the scoreboard throughout, allowing only one hit through her first five innings (two in the game) and at one point retired 11 of 12 batters she faced. She would go on to register her first complete game shutout of the year.

ART U had knocked Aspel out of the game by the fourth inning and continued to keep its foot on the gas pedal. Senior outfielder Ashley Lokey got things started in the fourth with a single and stole her third base of the game before Stover brought her teammate home on an RBI double to left. Junior catcher Andrea Hanchey would later drive in Stover on a fielder's choice and it was a 6-0 lead for the Knights.

Academy of Art had eight hits across the first four innings and the visitors would rally once again in the sixth to create the eight-run margin. With two outs and runners on the corners, senior infielder Genna Allen hit an RBI single to right before Thurman added an RBI single up the middle to cap off what would now be an 8-0 score thanks to 12 Urban Knight hits. After Dauer blanked CUH in the sixth, ART U took the mercy rule victory in game one.


Chaminade started off game two by scoring a pair of unearned runs in the first following an outfield error. Academy of Art had an opportunity to get one back in the second, however, when Allen hit a one-out single, went to second on a groundout, and finally reached third by stealing her sixth base of the season. Though Stewart walked to put runners at the corners, the final out was made and CUH exited the inning unscathed.

In the third, the Silverswords added to their lead with two more runs by way of an RBI single and a sacrifice fly to go up 4-0. However, as the rain began to fall in the bottom of the third inning, so too did the ART U hits. Lokey once again initiated the action with a walk and Stover would knock a single then reach second on an error before the offense flowed forth. Hanchey had an RBI single then Allen cleared the bases with an RBI triple (her first of the season). Thurman followed with an RBI single and Stewart capped the five-run rally with a two-run double through the left side to make it 5-4 as the Knights took the lead.

The Silverswords would quickly retie the ballgame 5-5 though with an RBI double in their half of the fourth inning, but an inning later, Academy of Art went back ahead via a three-run fifth. Hanchey opened with a double then came home on Thurman's RBI single. After Cordova singled her way on, she and Thurman would each score on back-to-back wild pitches by Aspel. The inning concluded with the Knights now up 8-5, but the battle was still not yet concluded.

Chaminade had a chance to take the lead with one swing of the bat having loaded the bases in the sixth, but ART U's game two starter Haily MacDonald (3-4) got the groundball she needed to keep her team in front. The freshman induced a grounder to Stover who tagged a runner and threw to first, completing a crucial double play. Still up 8-5, the Knights had another scoring chance in their sixth, but CUH managed to come away without any further damage before MacDonald used another double play to end the seventh and give ART U the sweep.

Dauer was stellar on the rubber in game one, finishing with a line of 6.0 innings pitched, no runs allowed on two hits, one walk, and three strikeouts. She has allowed just one earned run in her last 11.2 innings pitched. MacDonald earned her third win of the season with four earned runs allowed and two strikeouts across a complete 7.0 innings pitched.

Four different Urban Knights had multi-hit game ones and then four more had multiple knocks in game two to contribute to the day's 25-part hit parade. Thurman was a perfect 3-for-3 in game one with a double and three RBIs. She then went 2-for-4 with two more RBIs in the second contest.

Stover, on the heels of her four-hit game in the series finale with Hawaii Pacific, went 2-for-4 in Wednesday's opener and then 1-for-3 in the second game. She would add four runs scored and an RBI on the day in addition to extending her current hit streak to seven games. In the opener, Lokey was 3-for-4 with three stolen bases (third time in her career) and a run scored. Smith rounded out the multi-hit game ones for ART U with her 2-for-4 performance which included a run scored.

The doubleheader marked the second and third consecutive contests in which Academy of Art has notched at least 12 hits as a team. Hanchey ended up scoring four times through the doubleheader after she went 3-for-4 in the second contest with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. Allen contributed a 2-for-4 performance with a triple, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. Finally, Cordova added a 2-for-3 outing which also included a run scored.

The two Chaminade hits in game one went to Rayna Strom-Okimoto and Kori Brinobis and both Silverswords would have success in the second game as well, combining to go 8-for-13 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Aspel, who took the game one loss, went 3.0 innings in her first start while allowing four runs on five hits with two strikeouts. In the second contest, Aspel would return, but be hit hard again, surrendering eight runs on 11 hits with one strikeout this time.

Academy of Art faces one more team, BYU-Hawaii, on its Hawaii roadtrip and that four-game series will begin with a doubleheader on Friday, Mar. 23. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 PM HST (4:00 PM PST).

"Two more wins in Hawaii really helps us going into BYUH," Coach Sherman said. "I think our confidence and team chemistry are on point right now so I am confident we can use the momentum from today to close out the trip with four more wins."