Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Brisbane, CA – It was a pair of close, low-scoring affairs Wednesday as Chaminade managed to take each side of a Pacific West Conference softball doubleheader versus the Urban Knights. Strong pitching performances from both teams led to the 4-1 game one and 4-2 game two results out at Mission Blue Field. Among the highlights was a solid 5.1 innings pitched by sophomore reliever Kristin Valdivia put together over the twinbill.

Following a scoreless first inning of game one, the Silverswords put the first run on the board in the second when Ashley Phelps hit an RBI single to center. ART U starter Kimberly Dauer (5-11) got out of another jam in the third, inducing three consecutive outs after Chaminade got runners on second and third to start.

However, the fourth inning saw CUH add to its 1-0 lead with three more runs and Academy of Art called upon Valdivia for her first relief appearance of the day. The Swords exited the inning with a 4-0 lead, but it was in no way insurmountable and the Knights quickly got one back in the bottom half.

Junior Elyse Cordova started off with a double to left center and fellow junior Lauren Stover knocked her in on a single up the middle. That made it a 4-1 game with still three innings to play. However, Chaminade starter Brett Aspel (10-8) rebounded from losing her shutout and got through those final frames with just one hit allowed.

Valdivia essentially matched the Silverswords' starter as she threw three shutout innings herself, finishing the game with one run allowed in 4.0 innings pitched. Chaminade would wind up taking the 4-1 victory.


Game two saw an early lead for Academy of Art after freshman Shelby Gill (0-6) struck out the last batter in the first inning to start the Knights momentum. Cordova led off with a bunt single and Stover later added a single to center. Redshirt sophomore Jasmine Dickenson also singled to center and the bases were now loaded for freshman Jessica Marin. Though she did not hit the grand slam on this occasion, Marin did bring one run in on a sacrifice fly and ART U came out of the inning with a 1-0 lead.

Chaminade would come back to tie the contest in the top of the second when an unearned run was scored following an error. The Swords then got ahead 2-1 in the third again with an unearned run. The fourth inning saw two spectacular jumping catches by Dickenson, the second of which sparked an inning-ending double play which gave the Knights momentum coming to the plate.

Academy of Art fought back to retie the game 2-2 in the fourth when senior Andrea Hanchey led off with a double and freshman Elise Oldham launched a double to right. It was sophomore Taylor Thurman who got the RBI single to score Hanchey and, despite a chance for more, the Knights headed to the fifth all knotted up with CUH.



The sixth inning proved to be the difference as back-to-back RBI doubles from Chaminade elevated them to 4-2 and Aspel, who had entered in the fourth as a reliever to starter Kaitlyn Watanabe, continued her impressive day. One of Gill's best outings of the season in game two and dominance from Valdivia in relief ended up being just two runs short in the 4-2 final.

Gill ended up throwing a season-high 5.2 innings in her start, allowing just two earned runs on nine hits. Valdivia posted a nice encore to her relief in game one with 1.1 shutout innings and no hits allowed in the second contest. She completed the day with 5.1 innings in relief, one run allowed on five hits, and two strikeouts to remain the team's ERA leader (2.23).

Cordova was one of three Urban Knights to have hits in both games as she went 2-for-3 in the opener and 1-for-4 in the finale. The single runs she scored in each contest elevated her to a tie with Ashley Lokey as the all-time career runs scored leaders. On the day, Stover was 3-for-5 with an RBI while Dickenson finished 2-for-6. Marin and Thurman each had RBIs in game two and Hanchey was 1-for-2 with a run scored.

Chaminade had its biggest offensive day from PacWest Player of the Week Rayna Strom-Okimoto who went a combined 5-for-8 with two doubles, two RBIs, and a run scored. Aspel earned a pair of wins on the day after throwing 11.0 innings in the doubleheader while allowing one run on four hits and striking out six.

The Urban Knights will now turn their attention to one last weekend of non-conference action in which they enter the Tournament of Champions for the first time in program history. Set to face several West Region opponents in the tournament hosted by Cal State Stanislaus, ART U begins with a triple-header against Western Washington, Azusa Pacific, and Montana State-Billings this Friday, Apr. 5.