Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
BRISBANE, Calif. – Scoring first in both games, Academy of Art University Softball plated runs in half of the innings it played, swiping both sides of a doubleheader with Central Washington, 5-2 and 8-7, out a Mission Blue Field on Monday. Another complete game victory by freshman Brenna Mitchell (5-1) was backed up by a three-run rally in the third inning of game one and steady offense in the second contest overcame a comeback by the Wildcats as big run-scoring doubles by junior Taylor Thurman and sophomore Jessica West were the difference late.
Both starting pitchers in game one, Mitchell and Kiana Wood (3-1), exchanged scoreless innings to open the day though they each faced runners in scoring position in their respective first innings. It was not until the bottom of the third that ART U struck, using three infield errors to set up a two-run double by graduate student
Nirana Singh for a 3-0 lead.
Central Washington got one run back on a run-scoring double by their pitcher in the fourth and added another in the fifth a bases-loaded hit batter to make it 3-2. However, a double by senior
Kamyle Glover as well as a walk to West gave senior
Jasmine Dickenson the opportunity to add insurance runs and she provided a two-run single to put the Urban Knights up 5-2.
Mitchell and the Academy of Art defense finished off the victory with two more scoreless innings, working around leadoff walks to win on a head's up lineout to Glover who hit Dickenson for an exciting game-ending double play. Michell earned her fifth win after going a complete 7.0 innings with just the two runs, five hits allowed, and two strikeouts.
Game two began with another Wildcats miscue leading to the first run of the game for ART U in the first inning. The second inning featured singles by Dickenson and sophomore
Hallie Curtis before a throwing error on Curtis' steal attempt allowed Dickenson to touch home.
Academy of Art's 2-0 advantage was short-lived though because two run-scoring singles by CWU came in the top of the third and the game remained tied until a two-run single by Dickenson vaulted the Knights back ahead in the bottom half. An unfortunate start to the fourth included a pair of errors which led to a four-spot turned in by the Wildcats, putting them in front 6-4.
The heart of the ART U order came right back in the home half, however, with Glover singling home Curtis, Thurman driving in Glover with her team-best fourth double of the year, and West ultimately finishing the rally by trading places with Thurman via another double. When the dust had settled, Academy of Art had gone back ahead 7-6.
Again working through the CWU order after coming on in relief in the fourth, Mitchell retired seven in a row across the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings while West tacked on another insurance run with her second run-scoring double in the sixth. The Wildcats threatened with a RBI double in the seventh to bring the tying run to second base, but a popout to Mitchell herself completed the sweep with an 8-7 victory.
The Urban Knights rise to 8-3 overall this season and have a chance at the best start in program history with a sweep in Sonoma this Wednesday. West finished the day 3-for-7 with two RBIs, two doubles, and two runs scored while Dickenson was 4-for-6 with three RBIs and one run scored. Singh continued her success at the plate, extending a now six-game hit streak with a 3-for-6 day that included two RBIs and a double.
Thurman's hit streak is up to seven games after she went 2-for-5 and Glover also has six consecutive games with a hit following her 3-for-6 day that saw her touch home four times. In the circle, Mitchell threw a total of 10.2 innings, allowing just three runs on nine hits with three strikeouts.
Central Washington had come into Monday with the same record as ART U, but left 6-5 overall. Kailyn Campbell had the best day, going 4-for-8 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Defensively, CWU struggled with eight total errors leading to seven unearned runs.
ART U now heads into a stretch of 10 consecutive road games with doubleheaders at Sonoma State (Feb. 25) and #20 Humboldt State (Mar. 2) on tap next.
