TUCSON, Ariz. – Numerous breakout offensive performances were paired with strong pitching Friday as Academy of Art University softball swept both games to start the Cactus Classic at Lincoln Regional Park. A four-run rally in the third inning and a complete game effort from freshman pitcher Hannah Rose Balke (3-1) helped send the Urban Knights to an 8-1 victory over Lincoln Memorial in the opener. The ART U bats remained hot against Fort Lewis, setting the program's new doubles record amid a season-high 15 hits with baserunners on in every inning en route to an 8-5 win.

"I am so proud of our offense today," said head coach Sonja Garnett. "Not only did we have quality at bats, but we also had great team at bats to bring runs across. We did the little things right at the plate today."

GAME 1 – ART U 8, LMU 1
It did not take long for the Academy of Art to get started on Friday. In the second inning of the opener, junior infielder Samantha Klune led off a four-hit rally that culminated with redshirt freshman catcher Adrianna Rupright's two-run single.

The Knights' lead grew to 6-0 with four scores on four more hits in the third highlighted by freshman infielder Gracie Sotomayor's run-scoring single, Klune's two-run single, and sophomore infielder Brenna Youngquist's double to right center that plated Klune. Meanwhile, Balke and the ART U defense, posted their third zero before the team's traded lone runs in the fourth. Freshman infielder Freddie Carrillo provided a single to score Sotomayor for Academy of Art and Lincoln Memorial used a home run by BriAnna Schrimpf to get on the board.

Up 7-1, the Knights did not stop there as the senior outfielders Jessica West and Hallie Curtis worked in tandem in the fifth. After West got aboard and stole second, Curtis drove her in with a single. The Railsplitters were allowed just three hits the rest of the way before ART U prevailed 8-1.

GAME 2 – ART U 8, FLC 5
In a classic start to Academy of Art's matchup with Fort Lewis, freshman outfielder Gabi Hirsch singled, stole second, reached third on a wild pitch, then scored on a bunt by Sotomayor. The Knights' lead became 3-0 after two more in the second inning, both on Sotomayor's double.

The Skyhawks changed their pitcher in the third, but it only caused ART U to rally further with four straight doubles coming during a six-hit inning. West opened the series, Curtis brought home two with hers, senior starting pitcher Alexa Peters (1-1) helped her own cause with one coming in on her double, and freshman catcher Ryia Grant's first collegiate hit drove in one more to complete the sequence of two-base hits.

Fort Lewis came back with a run-scoring double of their own in their half of the inning to shorten the gap to 7-1, but Academy of Art tacked on one more in the fourth with Youngquist's sacrifice fly. That 8-1 score held until FLC's fifth when four hits produced four runs including back-to-back doubles, forcing ART U to call upon sophomore pitcher True Park (1-1) in relief. The Chico, Calif. native ended the threat with the final out and ended up retiring seven straight batters to finish the game with the Knights in front 8-5.

Academy of Art wins its third and fourth games in a row and moves to 5-3 on the season. Game one's defensive hero was Balke who threw her second straight complete game with one run allowed. She went 7.0 innings with the lone run on six hits and three strikeouts. Peters picked up her first win of the year with 4.2 innings pitched and five runs allowed on six hits while Park came in to record the first save of her career, throwing 2.1 relief innings with one base-runner allowed and two strikeouts.

"Hannah had another great performance today," said Garnett. She is controlling the zone well and does a great job utilizing her defense. Alexa and True worked well together in game two. Fort Lewis is a good team and Alexa really kept their offense at bay before True came in and closed the door."

ART U's offense came from up and down the lineup as seven Knights made up the 13 hits in game one (six of those drove in runs) then all nine batters contributed at least one of the season-high 15 hits in game two (five had RBIs). Seven doubles in the day's finale set the program record, surpassing the six that came at SF State on Apr. 6, 2015. Sotomayor pushed her hit streak to seven games with a 4-for-8 day that saw her double twice in the second contest and drive in three on the day. Carrillo, Klune, and West were all 4-for-8 as well, Rupright had two RBIs in game one, and Curtis rose to the top of the Academy of Art batting averages (now hitting .500) with a 4-for-7 day that included three RBIs and gives her a six-game hitting streak.

The Urban Knights return to Lincoln Park - Field 6 tomorrow, Feb. 18, for matchups with No. 2 West Texas A&M at 9:30 a.m. MT (8:30 a.m. PT) and Lubbock Christian at 11:30 a.m. MT (10:30 a.m. PT). The Lady Buffs won two very different games on Friday, rallying late to top University of Mary 11-8 and gaining an early advantage in a 1-0 pitchers' duel with Lincoln Memorial. Lubbock Christian defeated No. 23 Dixie State 2-1 then sustained its second loss of the year, falling to Mary 3-2.

"Tomorrow is a new day for us," said Garnett. "It doesn't matter who we play if each member of the chain holds strong and does their job. I am very proud of what these women did today."