First Stanza of Softball Homestand This Week

Games #31 & 32
ART U Urban Knights (10-20, 7-7 PWC) vs. Holy Names Hawks (11-28, 4-14 PWC)
Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 12:00 PM
Brisbane, CA – Mission Blue Field
now has 29 RBIs on the year. She has moved up to 11th in the PacWest in that category and is now hitting .387. Thurman's average is third on the team behind Kamyle Glover, who stayed above .450 through the stretch in Turlock, and Elyse Cordova. Glover remains third in the conference (.453) and is in a three-way tie for the team lead of 21 runs scored. Cordova, batting .387 after carrying a 12-game hitting streak to the final game of the tournament, her 21 runs scored make her part of the tie along with Haily MacDonald. Two RBIs in the tournament inched Lauren Stover ever closer to the all-time career RBIs lead, putting her just three away from tying the leader. Jessica West has also heated up of late, upping her batting average to .310 while riding a 10-game hitting streak that has seen her double twice in her past two games.

In the rotation, Jill Johnson (6-9) has dropped her ERA to 3.99 now with 50 strikeouts in 80.2 innings pitched. Alexa Peters (1-2) adds a 4.86 ERA through 40.1 innings and Carlee Emerson (3-9) is a third of an inning away from 70.

FAMILIAR FACES FACE OFF IN BAY BATTLE
Holy Names' 15-20 record this season is improved from their 10-46 finish in 2013. Academy of Art swept a two game series on March 28 (8-1, 6-2) at Thrasher Park in San Leandro. Freshman Lyveana Lleyan had three hits against the Knights and leads the team in average (.341), hits (43), doubles (6), home runs (3), and RBIs (17). Fellow freshman Courtney Tarbat is second on the team in average (.297) and RBIs (16). Sophomore pitcher Kayla Simonson is part of the Hawks' young talented core. She is 2-6 with a 4.92 ERA on the season. Academy of Art won three of four games against Holy Names in 2013 season, giving them now an 8-4 all-time advantage.

COUGARS CONTENDING FOR A CONFERENCE TITLE
Azusa Pacific has rebounded from a 23-win 2013 season (ninth place in PacWest) by already eclipsing their win total in 2014 with a 30-14 record (third in conference). The Cougars have won three straight games after dropping the first two in the Tournament of Champions last weekend in Turlock. Freshman infielder Nicki Sprague is off to a blistering start to her college career hitting .527, which is second in the conference. She also has four home runs and 32 RBIs. Sophomore catcher Madison Hernandez has four home runs and 42 RBIs, holding the team lead in both offensive categories along with her 14 doubles. Freshman pitcher Carly Xeopleas is 11-4 with a 2.46 ERA, which ranks third in the conference. The Knights took two of three from the Cougars in 2013 including both games on the road in Azusa.

FAMILIAR FACES FACE OFF IN BAY BATTLE
Holy Names' 15-20 record this season is improved from their 10-46 finish in 2013. Academy of Art swept a two game series on March 28 (8-1, 6-2) at Thrasher Park in San Leandro. Freshman Lyveana Lleyan had three hits against the Knights and leads the team in average (.341), hits (43), doubles (6), home runs (3), and RBIs (17). Fellow freshman Courtney Tarbat is second on the team in average (.297) and RBIs (16). Sophomore pitcher Kayla Simonson is part of the Hawks' young talented core. She is 2-6 with a 4.92 ERA on the season. Academy of Art won three of four games against Holy Names in 2013 season, giving them now an 8-4 all-time advantage.

ON DECK
ART U's final non-conference games come up next week as the Knights play host to Cal State East Bay (a rescheduled doubleheader) on Wednesday, Apr. 16 and continue with PacWest play facing NDNU on Friday, Apr. 18 in Brisbane and at Dominican on Saturday, Apr. 19.