Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Laie, HI – ART U Softball closed out its 10-game Hawaii roadtrip Thursday with a combined 24 hits begetting 15 runs en route to a split against BYU-Hawaii. Game one saw the teams exchange five-run innings midway through, but it was a Taylor Thurman RBI double in the fifth that ended being the difference in an 8-7 final. Game two saw Academy of Art jump out to a 5-0 lead, but a six-run fifth for the Seasiders put them over the top. The Urban Knights got the winning run to first base in the seventh, but BYUH pulled out a 9-7 win in the end.

"I'm proud of they way we are swinging it right now," co-head coach Randy Ward said. "Everyone is hitting the ball hard which is encouraging for our return home."

The opening contest was scoreless through the first two innings as starter Alexa Peters (1-1) retired seven of the first eight batters she faced. In the third, Thurman came up with two on and drove one in on a single before Elise Oldham's sacrifice fly brought in another. The Knights' 2-0 lead was brief, however, because BYU-Hawaii scored five in their third almost exclusively on walks or hit batters.

Academy of Art did not let the Seasiders' 5-2 last, going right to work in the fourth. With the bases again loaded, Kamyle Glover walked and Elyse Cordova then brought one home on a groundout. Thurman added to the rally with a fielder's choice to score another and Oldham finished it off with a two-run double. The momentum swung back to ART U, now up 7-5.

"We have been aggressive with our mentality at the plate," Coach Ward said. "In that fifth, we stayed focused in our approach and pushed some runs across."

In the fifth, the Urban Knights got a single run and it would be a decisive one. Following a Glover single and a Cordova sacrifice bunt, Thurman returned to the plate for another big hit. She doubled to left, scoring Glover and putting ART U ahead 8-5. BYUH fought back with two runs in the sixth, but in the seventh, Jill Johnson came on in an 8-7 contest and shut the door, striking out a pair of Seasiders for her second save on the trip.


The ART U offense continued to flow into the second game as singles by Glover and Cordova put two on for Thurman who crushed her first home run of the season to left. The three-run shot gave her 13 RBIs in her past four games as well as a six-game hitting streak, but more importantly the Knights were up 3-0.

"Taylor has been awesome on this trip," co-head coach Sami Strinz said. "She has been one who we can rely on to get us big hits. We've always known that she can be that type of hitter and I think she's seeing herself if that way as well."

Academy of Art added to its lead in the second with three singles to load the bases, setting up scores on a wild pitch and a Glover double. The two-run rally made it 5-0 ART U and that margin held up for an inning before BYUH plated two in the third. Johnson, game two's starter, had retired the first seven batters, but two walks and a single plus an error helped the Seasiders start a comeback.

A 5-2 game became 6-2 in the fourth when Dickenson smacked a RBI double to right center, but a leadoff homer for BYU-Hawaii in the bottom half brought them to within three, 6-3. The Knights ran into trouble in the fifth as four two-out walks aided a six-run BYUH rally to take the lead 9-6.

In the sixth, ART U got a pair of hits, but left its runners stranded. That set up a seventh where Academy of Art broke through on a bases-loaded walk to Jessica Marin. The Knights had the potential for more with the tying run on second and the winning run on first, but a groundout finished it and the Seasiders escaped with a 9-7 victory.

The Urban Knights are now 7-15 overall and 5-7 in PacWest play. Thurman led the way with three RBIs in each contest, finishing 4-for-8 with a home run, a double, and two runs scored. Glover, owner of a six-game hitting streak, went 4-for-8 as well with a double and four runs scored. Oldham had three RBIs in the opening contest while the trio of Lauren Stover, Jessica West, and Lexie Hernandez each had multi-hit games. Cordova completed the day 2-for-7 with an RBI and two runs scored and Dickenson was 3-for-8 with a double, an RBI, and three runs scored. MacDonald scored three times in the twinbill including twice in her 2-for-3 game two.

In the first contest, Emerson picked up the victory after going 3.2 innings with three runs allowed on five hits. She came in relief of Peters who pitched 2.1 innings without giving up a hit, but surrendering three earned runs. Johnson was off to a solid start in the second contest, but could go just 4.2 innings in the end with Emerson coming in for 1.1 scoreless relief innings.

"Our pitchers need to do a better job for the rest of our team," Coach Strinz said. "Our offense is scoring more than enough runs for them, we just have to get tough when we need to be."

BYU-Hawaii moves to 10-14 overall, 6-12 in conference. They were guided by Makaela Williamson who had the home run as part of her 2-for-5 day that included three RBIs and two runs scored. Taylor Alvarez (2-8) was dealt the loss in game one after going 6.0 innings with seven runs allowed on nine hits. In the second game, Gabby Hawkins (6-4) went the distance, giving up seven runs on 12 hits.

"The Hawaii trip was a chance for us to come together as a team," Coach Ward said. "We had some ups and down and have learned a lot about ourselves. We saw what we are capable of doing at the plate. We know we have to clean things up in the circle and in the field in order for us to be in a situation to win more often."

ART U will return to its Bay Area home this week and will remain there for the rest of March. The Knights next play a home-road series with local rival Holy Names on Mar. 26 (Mission Blue Field at 12:00 PM) and Mar. 28 (Oakland at 11:00 AM).