SEASIDE, Calif. – Resolving to break through offensively after a tough 7-1 loss in game one, Academy of Art University Softball unleashed a four-run rally right away in the second contest, leading them to a 6-3 victory to split Sunday's twinbill with No. 15 Cal State Monterey Bay at the Otter Sports Complex.

GAME 1 – #15 CSUMB 7, ART U 1
After a pair of errors started the game and pushed one run across for the Urban Knights, but a two-run homer from Courtney Hennings then put the Otters ahead 3-1 after a rally in the bottom of the first. Hennings would strike again in the fourth when she drove in two on a single with the bases loaded, upping CSUMB's advantage to 5-1.

In the sixth inning, Hennings completed an impressive performance with another run-scoring single, a steal, and then touched home on an error. Academy of Art started the top of the seventh with back-to-back singles against Cal State Monterey Bay starter Hayley Fein (4-3), but the Otters would get three consecutive outs hold on to win 7-1.

"Monterey is a good team and Fein threw well," said head coach Sonja Garnett. "We made some mistakes in game one and our team decided that, going into game two, we would make some easy adjustments and focus on our strengths a little more. We played loose and our leaders really stepped up game two."

GAME 2 – ART U 6, #15 CSUMB 3
Right out of the gate, Academy of Art got on the scoreboard in the day's finale. It started with freshman infielder Jayda Alaan's 10th time being hit by a pitch this season and a walk to sophomore outfielder Gabi Hirsch. From there, three consecutive scoring plays ensued as senior Brenna Mitchell plated one on a double, freshman catcher Lauryn Henderson hit a sacrifice fly, and senior infielder Samantha Klune added single to bring one more home. Two batters later, freshman pitcher Brooke Larsen (4-1) helped her own cause by roping a double to right center and giving her team a 4-0 lead.

That momentum led right into a shutdown first inning in which Larsen struck out two of the first three batters she faced. Another strikeout ended the second inning and the freshman did not stop there. She sat down two more Otters on strikes in the third and another in the fourth.

"Brooke stays loose and confident," said Garnett. "She makes adjustments as things happen, and maintains her composure really well."

The fifth innings saw ART U increase their advantage to 5-0 on another Larsen single after sophomore infielder Gracie Sotomayor led off with a single and swiped second base. Cal State Monterey Bay fought back with a pair of doubles in their half of the inning to make it 5-1. The score became 6-1 in the sixth when Mitchell turned Hirsch's walk and two steals into a run on a sacrifice fly, but CSUMB would not go down without a fight.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Otters strung together five singles (two which drove in one run apiece), but despite facing a bases-loaded situation, Larsen completed the task by inducing the two outs her team needed for the 6-3 victory.

The split pushes Academy of Art to a 7-5 overall record. Larsen's many talents were on display Sunday as she picked up the complete game victory with three runs allowed on 10 hits, no walks and nine strikeouts in the final. Additionally, she upped her current hitting streak to four games with a 4-for-7 day that featured two runs batted in and a double. Mitchell added hits in both contests to finish 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a double while Klune was 1-for-4 with a RBI in game two.

Now 7-6 on the year, Cal State Monterey Bay's most productive hitter was undoubtedly Hennings with her 5-for-8 day that included six RBIs and a stolen base. Fein earned the win in game one with a complete 7.0 innings of work, one unearned run allowed on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

The start of Pacific West Conference play is just around the corner as the Urban Knights now prepare to host Dominican tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 19, in a doubleheader out at Mission Blue Field beginning at 1 p.m.

"This team feeds so well off of each other," said Garnett. "I think we feel good going into our first PacWest games, but Dominican always plays us tight and we have to come out strong tomorrow!"