Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 ST. GEORGE, Utah – Academy of Art Softball returned to face a formidable foe in No. 5 Dixie State once again on Saturday morning, and though the Red Storm prevailed 10-1 and 11-6, the ART U offense looked more like itself with six runs on eight hits in game two. Three different Urban Knights homered to give the visitors to Karl Brooks Field some revenge against one of the best pitchers in the Pacific West Conference.
GAME ONEStepping in against the only undefeated hurler in the PacWest in Michelle Duncan (16-0), Academy of Art made a major breakthrough in the second inning. Despite being down 5-0 after the first, ART U opened with a single by junior catcher
Elise Oldham and eventually followed that with a run-scoring single from junior infielder
Jasmine Dickenson.
The Knights called upon sophomore
Alexa Peters (3-7) as a reliever in the second and she managed to keep DSU off the scoreboard until the third when the Red Storm posted another five spot to go up 10-1. Three of those runs were unearned due to a fielding error, but that margin would hold up the rest of the way in what turned into a five-inning affair. Duncan ended up allowing the single run (her 13th of the year to that point) on three hits with one strikeout.
GAME TWODixie State gained another early advantage with three runs in the bottom of the first. That lead became 4-0 in the third when an unearned run crossed home plate. However, a double play turned by freshman
Samantha Klune (in her first career start at shortstop) and junior
Taylor Thurman at first base gave ART U momentum heading into the fourth.
Sophomore outfielder
Jessica West doubled to right on the first pitch she saw and Thurman added a single before Oldham brought everyone home on a three-run homer to left. DSU starter Aryn Feickert (12-3), the pitcher who had thrown the Red Storm's first-ever perfect game the day prior, had little time to react before Klune sent a solo shot over the fence to quickly tie game two 4-4.
DSU was relentless with two more runs in their half of the fourth on a Marla Reiter double and a sacrifice fly three batters later. The 6-4 margin became 8-4 with two in the fifth, but ART U delivered another blow in the sixth when Dickenson crushed a two-run homer to left center following Klune's leadoff single.
"We fought back today," said head coach
Sonja Garnett. "We took some injuries and came together as a team. Elise,
Jessica West, Sam, and Jasmine had great at-bats game two. It was great to see the bats coming together."
The difference was halved to 8-6 with that swing and Academy of Art later brought the go-ahead run to the plate, however, a groundout ended the chance. In one final push, Dixie State scored three times on four runs in the sixth, sending them to a 11-6 victory after a brief seventh inning.
ART U is now 12-17 overall this season with a 7-9 PacWest record that has them sixth in the conference standings. Oldham (2-for-6, HR) and Dickenson (3-for-5, HR) each had three RBIs apiece on the day while Klune was a combined 2-for-4 with her solo homer and two runs scored in the doubleheader.
"We learned that when we focus on ourselves, have a good time, and believe, we compete at our best," said Garnett. "We have to keep getting better and learning from each outing."
Now winners of 23 consecutive games, Dixie State (29-5 overall, 20-0 PacWest) was led by four RBIs and one home run as part of Autumn Woodfall's 5-for-7 day. Marla Reiter also homered while going 4-for-6 with three RBIs. Feickert picked up the win in game two despite allowing four runs on six hits in 4.1 innings.
Academy of Art turns its attention to one more PacWest Conference opponent prior to the Tournament of Champions next weekend. The Urban Knights play host to Chaminade this Tuesday, Mar. 24 out at Mission Blue Field with the first pitch of game one set for 12:00 p.m.
