BRISBANE, Calif. – Academy of Art University softball ended Friday on a winning note, defeating Notre Dame de Namur 5-4 with clutch hitting and a solid performance from freshman pitcher
True Park (2-0) in game two. The day began with several Argonauts rallies during a 15-6 game one loss then, following three lead changes (all on home runs) in the finale, a double by junior outfielder
Jessica West tied the contest and freshman infielder
Brenna Youngquist drove in the winning run all in the sixth inning.
GAME ONE
The teams traded two-run rallies in the opening inning with ART U answering by way of back-to-back run-scoring singles from senior catcher
Elise Oldham and senior outfielder
Andrea Gill. That 2-2 tie held up until the third when NDNU plated five runs on six hits and, though the Urban Knights had a runner in scoring position in the inning that followed, it was the Argos who would score next with a Taylor Haynes two-run homer in the fifth.
The NDNU advantage grew to 12-2 by the sixth, forcing Academy of Art to score three runs to avoid the run-rule. ART U would do one better with four in the sixth, two on a single by West and one on a single from Youngquist. Another three-run push from the visitors came in the seventh and the high-scoring opening game ended with Notre Dame de Namur on top 15-6.
GAME TWO
The mood quickly changed for ART U in the second contest with West launching her first career home run on the first pitch she saw in the opening inning. Park would not allow a hit until the third when Katie Hoffman rebutted with her own solo shot to tie it up 1-1.
Two pitches into the Knights' fourth, Oldham crushed her second homer of the season, another solo shot, to put her team back in front 2-1. Park had surrendered just three hits through her first five innings and though the sixth saw NDNU's fourth, it was an impactful three-run homer to put the Argos on top 4-2.
That set up the bottom of the sixth where singles by Oldham and junior outfielder
Hallie Curtis set the table for West to stay hot with a two-run double to left center. After a hit batter, Youngquist stepped in with the game tied 4-4 and proceeded to single home the winning run in West. Though the tying run reached in the seventh, Park induced one final groundout for her second win of the year.
The day's results puts Academy of Art at 12-15-1 overall and 8-6 in PacWest play. West had a highly productive day, going 3-for-8 with five runs batted in, three runs scored, a double, and the home run. Oldham was 4-for-6 with the homer and two driven in while Gill finished 5-for-8 with a RBI and a double. Park's first collegiate complete game saw her go 7.0 innings while allowing four runs on five hits with three strikeouts.
NDNU finished Friday 6-17 overall and 5-13 in conference. Megan Kravec was the Argos' offensive leader with a 5-for-8 day that featured seven RBIs and a home run. Erin Powers (3-7) received both decisions Friday, ending with seven runs allowed on 16 hits and four strikeouts in 12.0 total innings pitched.
ART U is back out at Mission Blue Field tomorrow to host Dominican in another noon PacWest doubleheader. The Urban Knights will celebrate Brisbane Appreciation Day and are scheduled to have the city's mayor Clifford Lentz throw out the honorary first pitch.
