Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Brisbane, CA -- Using solid pitching and late heroics, the Academy of Art University softball team began defeated UH Hilo twice Friday afternoon to become 2-0 not only at home, but also 2-0 in Pacific West Conference play. Game one was a pitchers' duel featuring some of senior Kimberly Dauer's best work and, though the Vulcans got ahead 1-0 briefly, ART U responded with a four-run sixth to win it 4-1. In the nightcap, a 3-3 tie carried into the ninth inning when finally a triple by sophomore Haily MacDonald was followed up by a delayed double steal for the walk-off 4-3 victory.

“We're going through a process to figure out what kind of a team we are and what we've best identified with are being fighters. That's definitely what we saw today in two decently close games,” co-head coach Sami Strinz said. “We fought and fought and found a way to make it happen. That's what is great about this team; we don't have just one person carrying us. We always have contributions from everyone and that's really nice.”

Dauer ran into some trouble in the first inning of her game one start, but a strikeout and an impressive double play turned at third by junior Lauren Stover and sophomore Taylor Thurman gave her the momentum she needed. She retired the next four batters she faced and, in the third, UH Hilo threatened with runners in scoring position yet the senior stranded them once more after inducing a popout.

The Vulcans' Vanessa Salinas (4-4) did her part to match Dauer early and the first four innings were scoreless. In the fifth, a RBI single by Kristina Victa allowed Hilo to push the first run across though it ended up being unearned due to an error earlier in the inning. That 1-0 UHH advantage held up for just an inning though because the ART U sixth saw a furious comeback.

Freshman Jessica Marin opened with a determined at-bat that culminated in a single before senior Julie Martin got all the way to third base on a bunt single aided by a Salinas throwing error. After Marin scored and MacDonald singled home Martin, Stover provided a RBI single of her own. Senior Andrea Hanchey delivered the final blow, a RBI double to left, and suddenly Academy of Art was up 4-1.

Now just three outs away from her second win of the year, Dauer quickly retired the Vulcans 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh and the 4-1 score held up. Dauer's final line was 7.0 innings pitched (her third complete game of the season), just one earned run allowed on two hits, and a season-high seven strikeouts.

Carrying its offensive momentum into game two, the Urban Knights plated one in the first inning on a throwing error after back-to-back singles by Stover and Hanchey. MacDonald made her first start of the season and had the help of her sure-handed defense to get out of jams in the first and second innings.

In the fourth, the Vulcans went to their bench to try to capitalize on different situations, but MacDonald persevered and got the final out on a fly ball to freshman Andrea Gill in left. Academy of Art followed that up with two runs in the bottom half on MacDonald's first career triple which made UH Hilo pay for allowing Marin to reach on an error and Martin on a fielder's choice.

Though ART U now held a 3-0 lead, Hilo answered back with two runs in the fifth and an exit from the circle for MacDonald. A run came in on a single, but a head's up play by MacDonald, who had now moved to left field, helped double up the Vulcans at second to help sophomore reliever Kristin Valdivia (2-1) and her own cause.

Valdivia settled in and retired six of the next seven batters she faced until a solo home run by Emily Greene turned what had been a 3-2 game into 3-3 in the seventh. Neither team could string together hits for the next two innings as the game headed into the bottom of the ninth still knotted up 3-3.

With one out, MacDonald changed everything. She rocketed a triple to left center, sliding into third in a huge cloud of dust. The Vulcans then decided to intentionally walk junior Elyse Cordova which seemed innocent enough. However, Cordova (who ironically is an Acting major at Academy of Art) then casually jogged down to first and, as soon as she touched the base, she sprinted for second.

“Our plan was to win any way we could and that's really our mentality,” Coach Strinz said. “If we make mistakes, we try to make aggressive mistakes. We like to give ourselves a chance by being aggressive and that's basically what that play was. We went for it. If we lose, we can hold our heads up high knowing that we did everything we could. It was just an aggressive play and the girls executed it perfectly.”

Amid the confusion, UH Hilo rushed a throw to make a play on her and that's when MacDonald broke for home where she just barely evaded the catcher's tag and gave ART U quite possibly its most dramatic victory ever: A ninth-inning walk-off delayed double steal to win 4-3.

“When I was on third, I had full confidence in Elyse when she was up to bat,” MacDonald said. “When I saw her quick step [after the intentional walk], I just knew she was going to do and I knew we had it in the bag.”

MacDonald finished the doubleheader 4-for-8 with two triples, three RBIs, a stolen base, and two runs scored. That performance was coupled with 4.0 innings pitched and just two runs allowed on seven hits in her first start of the year.

However, she was just one of numerous Urban Knights who provided key contributions Friday. Cordova went 2-for-3 with a stolen base in game two while Stover had hits in both games, finishing with a RBI and two runs scored. Hanchey was 2-for-6 on Friday with a double and a RBI. Marin and Martin each turned in 1-for-2 game ones in addition to each scoring a run in each contest.

The pitching was equally if not more impressive than the offense in this home-opening doubleheader as all three hurlers went at least 4.0 innings capped by Valdivia's dominant 5.0 innings in which she allowed just one run on four hits while striking out one. Academy of Art improves to 4-7 overall and is 2-0 in PacWest play.

This four-game series between the Knights and Vulcans will conclude tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 16, with another 12:00 PM doubleheader out at Mission Blue Field.