Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Brisbane, CA – Less than 24 hours after a 10-run, 16-hit game two to start Pacific West Conference play, ART U Softball bettered both in a split with Central Washington out at Mission Blue Field on Sunday. Though the Wildcats took the first game 8-0 in five innings, the Urban Knights responded by scoring in five of six innings and ultimately using 17 hits to score 12 runs in a 12-10 dogfight with their opponents from the north. The teams were locked at 10-10 in the sixth inning after four lead changes when an error allowed the winning run to score and Haily MacDonald added an insurance run on a groundout both with the bases loaded.

The opening matchup saw Alexa Peters (0-1), in her first collegiate start, get out of a jam with a strikeout and, though ART U got hits in each of the two innings that followed, it was CWU who scored first in the second. A sacrifice fly and throwing error resulted in a 2-0 lead for the visitors after which one more came in during a third inning rally.

Central Washington starter Maria Gau (4-1) found her rhythm while the Wildcats had seven hits lead to five runs over the fourth and fifth innings. In the end, a shortened first game concluded with CWU on top 8-0.


Academy of Art went right to work in the first inning of game two, loading the bases with a Lauren Stover single, Elyse Cordova reaching on an error, and Taylor Thurman being hit by a pitch. Kamyle Glover, she of the team's highest batting average, stepped to the plate and delivered a two-run single up the middle. That was later followed by Jasmine Dickenson's two-run single to cash in Glover and Thurman, giving ART U a 4-0 lead early on.

Academy of Art went right to work in the first inning of game two, loading the bases with a Lauren Stover single, Elyse Cordova reaching on an error, and Taylor Thurman being hit by a pitch. Kamyle Glover, she of the team's highest batting average, stepped to the plate and delivered a two-run single up the middle. That was later followed by Jasmine Dickenson's two-run single to cash in Glover and Thurman, giving ART U a 4-0 lead early on.

Both teams were quiet in the second as Knights starter Jill Johnson (2-3) was rolling then, in the third, Central Washington broke through for four runs including three consecutive RBI singles which eventually led to Carlee Emerson (1-3) coming on in relief. A 4-4 game turned to Academy of Art in the bottom half when Elise Oldham hit her second double of the season to score Cordova who had hit a leadoff single.

Much like the back-and-forth battle with Notre Dame de Namur the day prior, ART U saw its opponent go back ahead 6-5 in the fourth when a RBI double from Jill McDaniels combined with Maikala Galusha's sacrifice fly. The bottom of the fourth see-sawed the advantage back to the Knights, however, as Cordova and Thurman each hit RBI singles with the bases loaded and Oldham brought a run in on her walk.

The 8-6 score did not remain for long because CWU scored four times in the fifth to go up 10-8. All four came on McDaniels' grand slam, but a groundout stopped anything further. In the fifth, Academy of Art rallied back to tie on a two-run double from Thurman which again came with the bases juiced. Now a 10-10 contest, the stage was set for some late-game heroics as the sixth approached.

Beginning with three consecutive singles by Oldham, Jessica West, and Dickenson, ART U had loaded the bases for the ninth batter in the game. This time it was Alexandra "Lexie" Hernandez who came through as she managed to avoid a tag heading down the first base line while the winning run scored. Shortly thereafter, MacDonald smacked a sharp groundball to second, getting an insurance run in and ultimately giving her squad their 12-10 margin. Emerson induced three outs on six pitches in the seventh and the Knights took home the victory.

For Academy of Art (3-7 overall, 1-1 PacWest), game two featured the fourth-most runs in program history (12) and the fifth-most hits (17) along a wild ride of four ties and four lead changes. It was a memorable game for Dickenson who went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. She joined a list of 10 Urban Knights who have ever achieved that feat.

Oldham, who is now riding a five-game hitting streak, went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in the second game while Thurman was 2-for-2 with a double and three RBIs in the finale. Stover finished the contest 3-for-5 with two runs scored and Cordova was 2-for-5 with a RBI and three runs scored. Glover added a 1-for-4 game two performance that included two RBIs (also giving her a five-game hitting streak), MacDonald went 1-for-5 with a RBI, and Hernandez was 1-for-4 with a RBI as well.

Peters surrendered six runs in her game one start, but only two were earned as a pair of untimely errors during two of the rallies. With 4.1 relief innings pitched in game two, Emerson picked up her first collegiate win.

Central Washington was led by McDaniels' 3-for-7 day that included six RBIs and the grand slam. Although Gau got the game one win behind a five-inning shutout that saw her allow three hits, the ART U offense responded by roughing up Kiana Wood in game two to the tune of 10 runs on 14 hits in the second game.

The Urban Knights return to Mission Blue Field this Wednesday, Feb. 26 for a 12:00 PM doubleheader with Cal State East Bay.