BRISBANE, Calif. – On Saturday out at Mission Blue Field, Academy of Art University softball stepped in against a Texas A&M-Commerce team in just its third year of existence. The Lions, however, were not tentative at all and may have been one of the most aggressive base-running teams the Urban Knights have ever faced as TAMUC swept the doubleheader 8-1 and 17-9.

GAME ONE
The Lions scored one run in each of the first two innings, utilizing their speed to get into scoring position. In the bottom of the first inning, ART U got the initial run back on an error following freshman infielder Katie Tablada's single.

The 2-1 score held up into the sixth inning as sophomore pitcher Brenna Mitchell (4-4) retired seven consecutive batters before surrendering a solo home run to Cherie Jackson. Texas A&M-Commerce broke through in the eighth, scoring five more times to go up 8-1 and win by that margin.

GAME TWO
Through the first two innings of the finale, the Lions were back ahead 4-1 with freshman infielder Juliana Lopez notching her first collegiate run batted in on a single through the left side. In the third, freshman infielder Brenna Youngquist drove came up with two on and drove one in while the other scored on a fielding error.

A one-run ballgame moving into the fourth, TAMUC proceeded to add to its lead shortly thereafter with seven runs on four hits. Academy of Art provided a rebuttal, however, scoring four times in the bottom of the fourth on a run producing hit by senior outfielder Andrea Gill, an error, then a huge two-run homer off Youngquist's bat.

The Lions' 11-7 lead was halved an inning later when crushed her second collegiate home run, a solo shot, and junior outfielder Jessica West drove in another with a double. The game's momentum stayed with TAMUC as their four-run sixth and two-run seventh propelled them to a 17-9 victory under the lights.

Academy of Art finishes its third week of the 2016 season with a 4-9-1 record. The home runs by Youngquist and Mitchell were each their second of the season. Tablada's three-hit game two was the program's third such instance of 3+ hits thus far. With two hits in the opener and another in game two, Lopez now has a five-game hitting streak and has reached base in 10 consecutive games.

Texas A&M-Commerce improves to 10-1 with the day's results, getting a 5-for-6, four-RBI game two from San Jose native Luci Ponce while Selena Rima (5-0) picked up both wins on the day, hurling 9.1 innings without an earned run allowed and five strikeouts. Living up to their reputation on the base paths, TAMUC stole 18 bases on the day including Baylea Higgs' five in the two games.

Next up for ART U is the team's first Pacific West Conference matchup which comes on the road against Holy Names at College of Marin the morning of Feb. 27.