Box Score

Turlock, CA – Playing in the final game of the Platinum Bracket in the Tournament of Champions presented by Mizuno on Sunday, ART U Softball executed an inspired comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning to overcome PacWest Conference rival Notre Dame de Namur 4-3. The Urban Knights trailed 3-1 going into the final frame, but clutch RBI hits from freshman Andrea Gill, sophomore Haily MacDonald, and junior Lauren Stover swiftly swung the momentum back to ART U for the victory.

"After losing so many one-run games this season, we felt vindicated and relieved that we could grind it out and win by one for a change," co-head coach Randy Ward said. "Going into that inning, I felt the team was sick of coming up short and they committed themselves to doing what it took to make sure that didn't happen again in that tournament."

After senior Kimberly Dauer (6-12) took care of the Argonauts 1-2-3 in the top of the first, ART U got its first run of the game in the bottom half of the inning. MacDonald reached on an error and junior Elyse Cordova bunted her way aboard. With two on, Stover singled to center, scoring MacDonald and putting her team ahead 1-0 after one.

Dauer struck out the first two batters she faced in the second and would ultimately retire the first seven Argos she went up against. A hit for senior Alyssa Hickey and an error in the bottom of the second created a possible scoring chance, but NDNU starter Lucinda Knudson (2-1) got out of it on this occasion.

Dauer and Knudson were both on top of their game as the contest moved forward. Those two combined to allow just a single hit in the third and fourth innings before the fifth saw Notre Dame de Namur tie it up on a RBI double by Hillary Uekawa. It went from 1-1 to 3-1 NDNU in the sixth when a pinch-hit RBI triple from Sylia Honne and a RBI single by Courtney Azevedo gave the Argos an advantage.

Freshman Shelby Gill (1-7) came on to relieve Dauer in the sixth and NDNU outs followed. She allowed just one hit and one walk in her two scoreless innings of relief, keeping it close after no problems in the top of the seventh.

It was the bottom of the seventh, however, that all will remember. As she did in ART U's comeback attempt against Central Washington the night prior, sophomore Taylor Thurman started it off with a single. After senior Andrea Hanchey also singled, Andrea Gill was called upon to pinch hit and the freshman delivered. She sent an 0-2 pitch into right center, doubling home Thurman and breathing life into her squad.

"Andi was asked to come in and move the runner with a bunt, but didn't get two chances fair," Coach Ward said. "She didn't lose confidence and turned that failure into a great success by hitting a shot in the gap to not only to move runners, but score one as well."

"Lately I've been struggling at the plate and, when I was called to step in to play my role, I knew I had to pull through for our team," Gill said. "Things didn't go as planned, but I pushed on and managed to finally pull through with a clutch hit. With the top of our lineup coming up, I knew we had it."

The rally continued as MacDonald patiently waited for her opportunity past two balls, fouled one off, then smacked an infield single which plated Hanchey and tied the game 3-3.

"My last at-bat, I told myself to relax and just breathe," MacDonald said. "I knew I had to wait for my pitch and see it big. Though the squeeze didn't work in our favor, I knew I'd beat the pitcher with the next pitch. I locked in on the next pitch and went with it. I'm so proud of the team coming together and taking each at-bat one-by-one in the seventh to come together to get the victory! We all came together and played Urban Knight Softball to get the win!"

"Haily can beat you so many ways; with her speed, her ability to get through the ball, and hitting line drives when needed," Coach Ward said. "The only question was how Haily was going to come through for us."

After NDNU chose to intentionally walk Cordova and load the bases, Stover stepped to the plate. The heroine of the day then sent a 1-0 pitch into left field and was soon celebrating with her team around home plate as Academy of Art defeated Notre Dame de Namur to win the Platinum Bracket of the Tournament of Champions.

"The game was so surreal," Stover said. "My final at-bat was just a moment I had to dig down and pull it out for my team. Before I stepped in the box, I took a deep breath and told myself to stay patient and only hit my pitch and that's what I did. On the second pitch, NDNU made the mistake and I took the time to capitalize, putting off my best swing to advance the winning run. I'm so proud of the girls digging down deep and fighting for the win in seventh. It was a complete team effort!"

"Stover has been in bases loaded situations many times this year and has been hit and miss as the game will make you do, but give her more opportunities and, with her shark-like personality, she will come through. Especially after walking someone to get to her," Coach Ward said. "Her type of personality only comes along every five to 10 years. She not only wants to beat you, but if you doubt her, she'll beat you so bad that you'll walk away cursing her name."

Academy of Art, now 12-24 overall in 2013, was led by Stover's 2-for-3 game that included two RBIs. Andrea Gill was 1-for-1 with a double and a RBI while MacDonald went 1-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. Thurman was 2-for-3 with a run scored and Cordova (1-for-3) pushed her hitting streak to a season-best nine games. Hanchey was 1-for-3 with a run scored as well.

"This tournament showed we can fight and the Notre Dame de Namur game showed we are capable of pulling tight ones out when we want to," co-head coach Sami Strinz said. "We just have to want to more often!"

The Urban Knights will now have some time to recover from their six games in three days as they are set to face Dominican this Thursday, Apr. 11 in a doubleheader starting at 12:00 PM. One more trip outside the state follows when ART U heads to Phoenix, AZ to play two against Grand Canyon on Saturday, Apr. 13.