BRISBANE, Calif. – Hosting Humboldt State, a NCAA Division II title contender last season, out at Mission Blue Field on Monday, Academy of Art University Softball executed a memorable sweep of the Lumberjacks. ART U scored 12 runs on 20 hits in the twinbill as pitcher Brooke Larsen (11-2), fresh off being named Pacific West Conference Freshman of the Week for the fourth time this season, shutout HSU en route to a 3-0 win in the opener. The Urban Knight bats then caught fire in game two, leading to rallies in four of six innings and a 9-1 walk-off run-rule victory.

GAME 1 – ART U 3, HSU 0
Larsen was absolutely untouchable to start the day. She struck out three of the first four batters she faced and had a perfect game going through four innings. Humboldt State starter Lexee Sheiring (6-4), to her credit, allowed just two hits to Academy of Art until the bottom of the fourth inning.

A one-out single by senior utility Brenna Mitchell ignited the offense with Larsen and sophomore infielder Gracie Sotomayor cranking back-to-back run-scoring doubles to get the Knights on the board. Junior infielder Brenna Youngquist then sent a single up the middle and, on a delayed double steal shortly thereafter, Sotomayor scored on a throwing error coming home.

Tasked with shutting down the Lumberjacks in the fifth, Larsen obliged, but sacrificed her perfect game and no-hitter as HSU threatened with two singles in the frame. Keeping her shutout intact with a popout to end the inning, Larsen then faced a bases-loaded situation in the sixth. The freshman proved to be completely unfazed, striking out the final batter on three pitches.

Crisis averted, Larsen picked up her 10th strikeout of the afternoon in the seventh and Academy of Art closed out the 3-0 victory.

GAME 2 – ART U 9, HSU 1 (6)
Although Humboldt State immediately came back and got a runner to third base, the first inning of game two ended up scoreless. The Jacks relentlessly continued to produce scoring attempts, getting a leadoff double and bunting her to third in the second. The visitors would finally break through for their first run on a suicide squeeze bunt in that inning, but the lead was extremely brief.

The Knights' half of the second was highlighted by a two-out run-scoring single from sophomore catcher Ryia Grant to tie things up before a wild pitch scored another and ART U carried a 2-1 advantage. After putting two more into scoring position in the third, Academy of Art called upon freshman pitcher Cecilia Lopez (6-4) in relief and she was also nearly unhittable.

After neutralizing the HSU threat in the second, Lopez benefitted from a four-run rally in the third where senior infielder Samantha Klune and Youngquist each had a run-scoring singles and Sotomayor plated two on the first triple of her career. Now up 6-1, ART U made it 8-1 in the fifth on Youngquist's second hit of the day, a two-run single, extending the margin.

Lopez retired the Jacks in order in the sixth then, on the verge of triggering the eight runs after five innings run-rule, the Knights delivered a Klune single up the middle to walk off with a 9-1 win.

Now on a three-game winning streak, Academy of Art rises to 19-11 overall with Monday's results. On the day, Sotomayor and Larsen were each 4-for-6 with three runs scored apiece. Sotomayor added two doubles, three runs batted in, and a stolen base while Larsen posted a double, one RBI, and a steal. Larsen offered her fifth shutout and PacWest-leading 12th complete of the year in the opener, dazzling with just four hits and one walk allowed while striking out 10 in 7.0 innings.

Youngquist finished the twinbill 3-for-5 with three RBIs and Klune was 3-for-7 with two RBIs as well as a double. Lopez picked up the win in the second contest with 3.1 shutout innings of relief that saw the Jacks notch only one hit and only once get a ball out of the infield.

The Lumberjacks drop to 14-13 on the year and were limited to just one run on eight total hits in the doubleheader. The RBI came off the bat of Mariah Tovar who went 0-for-3 on the day. Sheiring took the loss in game one after surrendering just two earned runs on eight hits in 6.0 innings.

ART U now launches into a stretch of 10 games in six days with Stanislaus State's Tournament of Champions first up this weekend. The Knights will face Sonoma State and Cal State San Bernardino on Mar. 23, Northwest Nazarene and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Mar. 24, then Cal State San Marcos and Western Washington on Mar. 25 in Turlock.