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Box Score 2 SAN FRANCISCO – Academy of Art University Softball came out on top in two very different games on a windy day out at SF State Softball Field. The opener was scoreless until the seventh when a rally pushed ART U over the top 2-0. Then, a six-run third inning highlighted the Urban Knights' 8-7 victory over the Gators after freshman
Samantha Klune broke the tie with a run-scoring double in the sixth, which also set a new program single-game doubles record. Freshman
Brenna Mitchell (15-11) was sharp all day long, throwing 9.1 shutout innings across the doubleheader.
"I am proud of the way our team came through today in both games," said head coach
Sonja Garnett. "When we weren't hitting for luck, we were able to do the little things right to produce runs in game one. I think that win took off the pressure for game two and our bats came alive."
GAME ONEThrough three innings of the day's opener, it was clear this would be a pitchers' duel. Mitchell and her counterpart, Megan Clark (4-13), each allowed just one hit apiece to that point, and the scoreless frames continued to go up. In the fourth and fifth, SF State got runners into scoring position, but on both occasions, groundouts ended the threat.
Finally, in the top of the seventh, Academy of Art broke through. A leadoff walk to senior infielder
Taylor Thurman eventually set things up for Klune who hit an infield single off the pitcher's glove to bring in the game's first run. Thereafter, hitter graduate student catcher
Nirana Singh and runner senior infielder
Jasmine Dickenson executed a suicide squeeze to produce a 2-0 lead for ART U.
Mitchell and the Knights were presented with danger in the seventh when SFSU brought the winning run to the plate, but a double play turned by senior infielder
Kamyle Glover and Dickenson finished off the 2-0 victory. Mitchell completed her second career shutout, going 7.0 innings with no runs allowed on five hits, no walks, and one strikeout.
GAME TWOAcademy of Art played its signature style in the first inning with senior outfielder
Haily MacDonald reaching on an error, stealing second, being bunted to third by Glover, and coming in on a double by junior catcher
Elise Oldham. The 1-0 lead did not last long, however, as the Gators plated two unearned runs in the first to go ahead 2-1.
After ART U starter sophomore
Alexa Peters (4-10) tossed a 1-2-3 second, the Urban Knights stepped on the gas in the third. MacDonald walked to start things off then back-to-back run-scoring doubles from Thurman and Oldham were only the beginning. Klune hit a RBI single, Singh doubled her teammate in, and Dickenson sent a two-run double down the left field line. The sixth and final run of the inning came in on an error with the bases loaded, giving Academy of Art a 7-2 advantage.
"Our hitting is contagious," said Garnett. "Once one person shows success, it gives permission for others to follow. Our focus today was to have a plan at the plate and the women executed that plan. It was good to see!"
SF State steadily battled back, scoring two in the third then three more in the fifth, tying it up 7-7 on a RBI single from Aryn Guzman. Mitchell returned in a relief role and held the line to set up a go-ahead hit for the Knights in the sixth. A leadoff single from Thurman created the scoring possibility and, two groundouts later, Klune stepped in then doubled to right on the first pitch she saw. The hit not only put ART U ahead 8-7, but also achieved the new doubles record for a single game, passing the five that had been reached on three occasions.
After the hit she allowed upon entering in the fifth, Mitchell proceeded to retire the next seven batters she faced as the Academy of Art completed the 8-7 victory. She would earn both of the day's wins, throwing a total of 9.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, six hits allowed, and no walks.
"Brenna is a good pitcher," said Garnett. "She didn't allow free bases, stayed focused each pitch, and closed the door both games."
Academy of Art improves to 20-24 overall with the victory, reaching 20 wins for the first time since 2012. On the day, Klune went 4-for-7 with three RBIs and a double while Oldham doubled twice as part of a 2-for-3 game two. Thurman upped her reached-base streak to 16 games after a 2-for-6 day with a RBI and a double. Singh added two doubles in her own right and Dickenson was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in the finale.
SF State drops to 10-30 on the year and the Gators were led by Marisa Andrade's four RBIs in game two as part of a 3-for-4 performance. Clark had the best pitching performance for SFSU, going 7.0 innings with two runs allowed on three hits in game one.
ART U now looks ahead to a return to PacWest play as well as the start of a 10-game homestand to finish the season. The Knights begin with Holy Names in town on Saturday, Apr. 11 at 12:00 p.m.
