LAIE, Hawaii – In command for virtually the entire day, Academy of Art University softball saw its offense go to work on Tuesday, logging double-digit hits in both sides of a Pacific West Conference doubleheader at BYU-Hawaii. The Urban Knights scored in six of seven innings to win game one 8-0 then see-sawed back and forth in the late innings of the second contest and ended up falling 6-4 after a three-run Seasider home run in the sixth. It would serve as ART U's sixth split in 11 doubleheaders thus far in 2016.
"We are hitting the ball well and having great approaches at the plate," said head coach
Sonja Garnett. "BYU-Hawaii had a great game 2, and they earned the result."
GAME ONEAfter getting on the scoreboard first in the opening inning, the Knights pushed their 1-0 lead to 3-0 on run-scoring singles by sophomore pitcher
Brenna Mitchell (7-5) and sophomore infielder
Samantha Klune. Meanwhile, Mitchell found her zone shortly after a leadoff single in the first inning, striking out the side in the second as she and the ART U defense kept BYU-Hawaii's offensive threat minimal.
The fourth inning saw Academy of Art gain a 5-0 margin on junior outfielder
Jessica West's double to score freshman infielder
Jennifer Thompson then West was bold enough to steal home plate. In the fifth, senior outfielder
Andrea Gill helped the Knights tack on another run via her single and West drove in Thompson once more in the sixth for a 7-0 score. Junior outfielder
Hallie Curtis was the fifth ART U player to drive in a run, making it 8-0 with a RBI single in the seventh before Mitchell closed out her first shutout of the season.
GAME TWOAlthough junior pitcher
Hunter Allen (2-3) allowed two base-runners in the first inning, she did not surrender a hit until the fourth. At that time, the Seasiders took their first lead of the day on a sac fly, but they could not shut down Academy of Art in the fifth. Freshman infielder
Juliana Lopez roped a two-run double into center field and later scored on a double steal attempt that turned into a rundown.
ART U's 3-1 advantage did not last long as BYU-Hawaii responded with its own two-run single in the fifth to tie game two 3-3. The Knights once again went ahead in the sixth when back-to-back errors mixed with a West single for a 4-3 lead. The Seasiders threatened in the sixth, putting two on before Tiffany Smith connected for a three-run home that turned the tide 6-4.
Now facing the task of an immediate comeback, Academy of Art did get the tying run to the plate on two occasions in the seventh, but just could not register that decisive hit to earn the sweep.
For the 10-11-1 Urban Knights who are 6-2 in PacWest play, West finished the day 5-for-8 with two RBIs, a double, and three runs scored. Lopez drove in two as part of a 2-for-3 game two that featured 10 ART U hits, Klune was 5-for-7 with one RBI, and Mitchell was 3-for-6 with one driven in as well. Thompson was 2-for-2 with three runs scored in the opener, contributing to the team's 13 hits in that one. Defensively, Mitchell picked up both a win and a loss, tossing 7.0 scoreless, two-hit innings with seven strikeouts in game one, but then two runs allowed in two-thirds of an inning including the homer.
"
Samantha Klune had a great day at the plate along with
Jessica West who is settling into the leadoff role, and consistently contributing to the team," said Garnett. "I am happy for
Brenna Mitchell who threw a great shutout today. Each outing we are becoming more consistent with the bats, we just have to stay hungry and come out prepared for Hawaii Pacific."?
BYU-Hawaii moves to 8-18 overall and 4-12 on the year in conference play. Smith had the game-winning home run and finished the twinbill with hits in each contest (1-for-5). Both Seasider pitchers threw complete games with Meghan Wantz (3-11) allowing eight runs on 13 hits in the opening loss and Chel Childs Lambert (4-3) earning the win after allowing two earned runs on 10 hits in game two.
Now beyond halfway through their Hawaii roadtrip, Academy of Art next faces Hawaii Pacific on Thursday, Mar. 17 at 1 & 3:30 p.m. HT (4 & 6:30 p.m. PT) out at Howard A. Okita Field in Kaneohe.
