GAME 1 – ART U 4, UH Hilo 3
Though the first two batters reached to start Larsen's day, two strikeouts in the inning provided balance and she was quickly provided with a 1-0 lead after sophomore outfielder Gabi Hirsch led off with a triple and was scored on a groundout by freshman infielder Jayda Alaan. Larsen made it five consecutive strikeouts after she retired the side in order on strikes in the second.

The bottom half of the second ended up being the difference in the contest as a leadoff double from Larsen was later followed by a bases-loaded walk to freshman catcher Lauryn Henderson and a two-run single off the bat of Alaan with the bases once again filled. Despite now trailing 4-0, UH Hilo threatened by loading the bases in both the third and the fourth, but only two would come in and both were on an error in the last of those two frames.

A 4-2 ballgame in the seventh, Larsen faced runners on second and third with just one out, but after a groundout scored one and put the tying run 60 feet away, the freshman induced a grounder back to herself and finished off the 4-3 triumph with a simple throw to first.

GAME 2 – ART U 9, UH Hilo 1 (5)
Academy of Art wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in Tuesday's finale, using an error, a hit batter, and a wild pitch to set up senior utility Brenna Mitchell's sacrifice fly and later a bases-loaded walk to junior infielder Brenna Youngquist. That 2-0 lead became 4-0 in the second when ART U manufactured two more scores on a sacrifice fly from Alaan and a run via bunt from Mitchell.

The margin was doubled once again in the third when a leadoff double from Larsen was followed by Youngquist blasting her fourth home run of the year down the left field line. The creation of the Knights' 6-0 lead all came amid an opening stretch of Lopez getting nine outs from the first 10 batters she faced. She would run into a bit of trouble in the fourth when three hits resulted in one run, but the freshman turned to her defense for a pair of impressive plays to hold the Vulcans to no more with the bases loaded.

ART U's trend of two runs scored in each inning continued in the fourth when the seniors stepped in for two productive at-bats. A bunt single by Hirsch and a steal coupled with a walk to Alaan put Mitchell into position for a run-scoring double and set up Klune for a sacrifice fly as Academy of Art moved ahead 8-1.

After Lopez retired the side in order in the fifth, the Knights triggered the run-rule in the bottom half of the inning on a Youngquist double, a pinch-hit single from freshman catcher Lauryn Henderson, and Alaan walk before Mitchell worked the game-winning walk with the bases loaded for a 9-1 victory.

The wins now push Academy of Art to 37-12 overall this season and 20-6 in conference play. After Concordia concurrently swept No. 12 California Baptist on Tuesday, ART U is now second in the PacWest standings behind the Eagles. Offensively, Youngquist finished 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, and three runs batted in. Following a 4-for-7 day that saw her score four times and steal two bases, Hirsch's various streaks were all increased as she has now reached base in 20 straight games, recorded a hit in 11 straight (one shy of tying the team's season-best), and seven consecutive games with at least one stolen base.

Larsen went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles to tie her with Lauren Stover (2012) for the program's lead in doubles over a single season (16). Alaan drove in four across a 1-for-3 performance in the doubleheader that also saw her get hit twice, moving her to one shy of Jasmine Dickenson's career record (27). Mitchell also posted four RBIs in a 1-for-5 effort that included one of the team's seven doubles on the day.

In the pitchers' circle, Larsen became the program's third 20-game winner (now one shy of tying ART U's single-season record) with a victory after one earned run allowed on three hits plus six walks and nine strikeouts in her 19th complete game of 2018. Lopez collected her 10th win of the year in game two with a complete 5.0 innings pitched, one run allowed, four hits, one walk, and three strikeouts.

UH Hilo drops to 29-15 overall and 17-9 in the PacWest. Brinell Kaleikini had one of the Vulcans' two RBIs on the day, finishing 2-for-4, while Bailey Gaspar was 2-for-6.

ART U will next honor its two seniors, Brenna Mitchell and Samantha Klune, in its final regular season games at Mission Blue Field this Sunday, Apr. 29 at noon.