Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Brisbane, CA – A pair of strong pitching performances combined with the necessary situational hitting to earn ART U Softball its first victory of 2014, a 3-2 final in game two against SF State on Wednesday. The battle of San Francisco schools began with the Gators edging Academy of Art 1-0 despite Carlee Emerson's complete game with four hits allowed. However, the Urban Knights rallied back in game two behind another inspired start from Jill Johnson, key hits by Lauren Stover and Taylor Thurman in a third inning rally, and spectacular defensive plays from Elyse Cordova which included a play at the plate to end the game.

Each team registered a pair of hits in their opening frame, but it was SF State who cashed in a run with the rally. A leadoff single by Courtney Gravel turned into a scoring opportunity with a wild pitch and then Torrey Rook brought her home on a single. In the ART U first, Cordova and Haily MacDonald each singled their way on, but were left stranded against the Gators' Emily Gibson (2-1).

From there, Gibson and Carly Emerson (0-2) entered into an old-fashioned pitchers' duel. A quick second inning (16 total pitches) led to the top of the third where Emerson pitched through a double and a single, leaving two on and the score still 1-0. Academy of Art had isolated singles in each of the next two innings before SF State threatened in the fifth.

In game two, both Johnson (1-1) and her SFSU counterpart, Megan Clark (2-1), were rolling through the opening inning. Though she allowed a double in the first, Johnson struck out a pair and, at one point, struck out three of four batters. The second inning foreshadowed the third for ART U as singles by Elise Oldham and Jessica West helped load the bases only to come away empty-handed.

The bottom of the third began with bunt singles from Cordova and MacDonald which, with the help of a catcher throwing error, put them into scoring position. Stover promptly cashed in both with her first double of the season on a 1-0 pitch and later Thurman plated her teammate with a single through the left side.

The Knights 3-0 lead would not last long, however, because SF State answered back with two runs in the fourth on a RBI single by Hanna Miller and RBI double from Jennifer Lewis. Johnson kept the lead intact despite the chance, striking out the final batter on three pitches. She ended the fifth in the same way and later notched her sixth strikeout in the seventh. When the Gators got a runner to second in the sixth, Cordova did the honors by ending the inning with an amazing diving catch in centerfield.

Cordova would strike again in the seventh when a two-out double by Gabby Reta put the tying run in scoring position. As Tori Bellin slammed a ball into center, Cordova picked it up and sent it over the diamond to Oldham where she awaited the runner headed home. The tag was applied well in advance of a score and ART U finished off its 3-2 victory in dramatic fashion.

Academy of Art's overall record is now 1-3 after an offensive day led by Stover's 1-for-3, two-RBI performance with a double in game two. Thurman added a 1-for-3 second game which included a RBI and the top five hitters in that contest each registered a hit (Cordova, MacDonald, Stover, Oldham, Thurman). Emerson went a full 7.0 innings in the circle for game one with only a single run allowed on six hits with one walk and one strikeout. Johnson's final line of the finale was 7.0 innings pitched, two runs allowed on eight hits, and six strikeouts for her first win of the year.

For the now 4-3 Gators, Rook finished 2-for-6 with one RBI and one run scored while Lewis and Kelsey Murakami each had RBIs in game two. The opening shutout went to Gibson with her complete game, five hits allowed, and six strikeouts. Clark surrendered three runs on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks in 6.0 innings.

Academy of Art now has a full week off from competition before hosting Sonoma State back at Mission Blue Field on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Note there is a new start time for this doubleheader which begins at 1:00 PM.