LAS VEGAS – Back under the lights at Majestic Park on Saturday to continue Montana State Billings' Desert Stinger Tournament, Academy of Art softball got behind Simon Fraser early in an eventual 13-3 loss, but was right with Saint Martin's for the first three innings before falling 6-0 thanks to some late rallies.

GAME 1 – SFU 13, ART U 3 (5)
Simon Fraser home runs in each of the first three innings had The Clan up 11-0 despite a situation with two on for the Urban Knights in the bottom of the first. Facing a 12-0 game in the fourth, Academy of Art put runners on via a hit by pitch and fielding error then got one in on a wild pitch before junior outfielder Jaime Batto notched her first run batted in for the program on her first double as well.

Down 13-2 and needing to make something happen to avoid the run-rule, ART U paired junior utility Alyssa Rasmussen's single with a double from junior catcher Lauryn Henderson in the fifth. Two outs later, however, the game concluded with SFU on top 13-3.

GAME 2 – SMU 6, ART U 0
Although Saint Martin's used three consecutive singles to plate one run in the first inning, the Saints would be kept off the scoreboard for the next two frames.  Junior pitcher Cecilia Lopez (0-2) got some help from her defense during that span as two lineout double plays were turned to slow SMU's offensive rhythm.

An ART U fielding error proved costly in the fourth when a two-run homer immediately followed, but the Knights would soon get their best comeback opportunity in the fifth. Senior pitcher Hannah Rose Balke (0-1) connected for the first hit of her career then senior outfielder Gabi Hirsch added a bunt single and both were in scoring position one pitch later. The chance ended up falling through and, after Saint Martin's tacked on a few unearned runs in the final frame, they would win a game that was far closer than the 6-0 score showed.

ART U, now 0-4 to open the season, had two-hit games come from Sotomayor (2-for-3 with one RBI through game one) and Balke (2-for-3 in game two), Batto register her first RBI in the opener, and both pitchers, Lopez and Balke, surrendered just single earned runs over 7.0 innings of the nightcap.

Each team still with one game left to play in the tourney, Simon Fraser moved to 2-2 on the year while Saint Martin's rose to 3-1. SFU's biggest offensive day came from Amanda Janes who drove in five with two home runs in two at-bats while Julia Hansen (1-0) secured the pitching victory with one run allowed through 5.0 innings in the circle. For SMU, Kylie Lopez and Kylee Vanderbout each went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs apiece while Brandi Schoessler (2-0) tossed 4.0 innings of shutout ball with two hits allowed.

Academy of Art wraps up the Desert Stinger Tournament tomorrow with an 11:30 a.m. matchup with Concordia (Ore.) at Field 11.