Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Riverside, CA -- Playing like a team with championship aspirations, Academy of Art University Softball delivered two major blows to last year's Pacific West Conference Champion California Baptist in a 10-7 game two victory on Saturday at Funk Stadium. Quickly bouncing back from a 10-1 defeat in the first contest, ART U used a three-run homer by junior Lauren Stover in the second to go up 6-1, then senior Andrea Hanchey powered a grand slam in the sixth for what would essentially become ART U's victory margin.

“It is always rewarding to beat a tough opponent like California Baptist,” co-head coach Sami Strinz said. “I think it just goes to show the way out program is improving. Our ladies are fighters and we are very proud of that!”

"This win is huge for this team," Stover said. "I think it's exactly what our team needs to prove to not only to everyone else, but ourselves that we are a threat! We talked a lot about being fearless before playing the second game and that's exactly what we did."

The opening contest saw the Lancers jump out to a 5-0 lead after one inning in the books, but freshman Jasmine Dickenson helped ART U make a quick rebuttal with her first career home run, a solo shot, to lead off the second inning.

Though Dickenson came up again in the third after the Knights had loaded the bases, it was not to be on this occasion. Academy of Art seemed to have chances in most innings of the opener as freshman Jessica Marin's second career double put her and sophomore Taylor Thurman in scoring position. Again, however, CBU got out of it and went on to score four times in the fourth for what would result in the 10-1 final ending in the fifth.


The Urban Knights shrugged off the loss and came right after the defending PacWest Champions in game two. Singles by MacDonald and Stover put pressure on Lancer starter Kayla Hatch (0-2) and soon both had scored on a steal and error. Hanchey later came in on a passed ball and ART U was quickly up 3-0.

Though California Baptist responded with a run in their first, Academy of Art took a commanding 6-1 lead in the second. With two outs, an incredible rally was started by MacDonald's single up the middle. After junior Elyse Cordova hit an infield single, Stover came to the plate and crushed a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence for her first home run of the year.

“Mentally at the plate, I'm just fearless,” Stover said. “I've really focused on seeing the ball big and only hitting my pitch. The home run was great. She made the mistake so I capitalized and it's always nice to be able to boost the team's momentum.”

Working hard against a heavy-hitting CBU team, MacDonald (2-0) and the ART U defense got themselves through two innings unscathed despite runners being left on. The Knights had a chance to build in the fourth, but the Lancers executed a play at the plate to exit the frame. MacDonald, who had gone 2-for-2 at that point then used just nine pitches to get out of the bottom of the fourth with her squad's 6-1 advantage still intact.

“Haily has been a tough out all year long,” co-head coach Randy Ward said. “Her speed gives our opponents trouble. She's been asked to pitch and she's doing great after running the bases to come back out and throw strikes.”

In the fifth, a three-run homer by CBU's Rachel Meyer resulted in a call upon sophomore Kristin Valdivia from the bullpen. Valdivia would get through that possible swing of momentum and, despite being up just 6-4 now, her team quickly took it back.

The sixth inning rally began with two on and one out before Stover's single back to the new CBU pitcher loaded the bases. Hanchey stepped to the plate with the game essentially hanging in the balance given the Lancers' reputation on their home field. She wound up driving a 3-2 pitch out of the park in left for her first career grand slam. Though CBU scored three on a homer in the sixth, they would come no closer as Academy of Art got out of one last jam in the seventh to win 10-7.

“It felt so surreal to pull through for my team,” Hanchey said. “I've always known I had it in me and it just was the icing on the cake to beat the reigning champs. As long as we hold onto that feeling, we will be unstoppable.”

Against a team that hit the most home runs in the PacWest last year and is second thus far in 2013, ART U could be founding essentially beating the Lancers at their own game with three Knights going deep Saturday for a total of eight RBIs.

“Stover and Dre's home runs were huge because they got them with runners on,” Coach Ward said. “We didn't get key hits in the first game with runners on. Those two stepped up big when they needed to and that was the key to winning game two.”

The top of the lineup was hot once again for the Urban Knights who are now 7-10 on the year and 5-3 in PacWest play. Stover had a trio of hits in both games, finishing the day 6-for-7 with a home run, three RBIs, three runs scored and now a nine-game hit streak.

MacDonald, who came just one game shy of the program hit streak record after her 10-gamer ended in Saturday's opener, still wielded a scorching bat by tying the single-game program record for hits with a 4-for-4 game two. She also scored three times. In addition, MacDonald picked up her second victory in the circle in that one, hurling 4.0 innings with four runs allowed on seven hits.

Hanchey and Dickenson each had home runs Saturday with Hanchey going 3-for-4 with the clutch grand slam, four RBIs, and two runs scored in the finale. Dickenson was 1-for-2 with the homer, one RBI, and one run scored in the first game.

California Baptist is now 5-6 overall with a 1-3 PacWest record after the split. The Lancers' heroine in the first game was Kailey Willingham who went 1-for-2 with four RBIs while Meyer had a 2-for-3 game two that featured two home runs and six RBIs. Game one's winning pitcher was Jessica Avila (2-2) who went 5.0 innings with one run allowed on seven hits and two strikeouts.

Academy of Art returns to Mission Blue Field next week on Mar. 2 to host Dominican for a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 PM.

“We really hope to keep this momentum rolling as we continue with conference play,” Coach Strinz said. “We like the feeling we get when we work hard and get the W's and we are forming an addiction.”