BRISBANE, Calif. – Erasing Hawaii Pacific's early lead midway through the first game, Academy of Art softball seized a thrilling 3-2 victory on a game-winning single from junior infielder Cecilia Lopez in the bottom of the seventh to start Tuesday's Pacific West Conference doubleheader out at Mission Blue Field. The Sharks came back to force a split after outlasting ART U 2-0 in a pitchers' duel of a second game.

GAME 1 – ART U 3, HPU 2
Scoring singular unearned runs in the first two innings, Hawaii Pacific gathered a 2-0 advantage while starter Ashlee Laver (4-6) appeared to be in a good rhythm. That changed in the bottom of the fourth, however, when senior utility Dominique Seva'aetasi led off with a double down the left field line and sophomore infielder Cassandra Mittman immediately plated her teammate with a double to left center. With the bases loaded three batters later, senior outfielder Gabi Hirsch smacked a single into center field to tie things up at 2-2.

After having a prime chance to break the deadlock in the fifth, Academy of Art continued to get scoreless innings from senior pitcher Hannah Rose Balke (3-9) who went on to retire 14 of the final 16 batters she faced. That set up the bottom of the seventh which began with freshman infielder Haley Randall's leadoff double, but took an unfortunate turn when she was thrown out at third on a groundout. At first with one out, however, Seva'aetasi stole second and, with two down and two strikes on her, Lopez sent a ball back up the middle to bring home her teammate in a dramatic cloud of dust for the 3-2 victory.

GAME 2 – HPU 2, ART U 0
Combining for isolated hits in four half innings through the first three innings of game two, the teams were immediately locked in a pitchers' duel. Sophomore Haley Arnold-Jolley (2-3) retired seven of the first eight batters she faced, but in the fourth, it was a double, a sacrifice bunt, and a run-scoring single that put Hawaii Pacific on the board first.

Academy of Art had a comeback opportunity later that same inning after loading the bases, but the Sharks were able to emerge unscathed. HPU added an unearned run in the seventh and, now facing a 2-0 deficit, the Knights began to put together a rally as a leadoff single from sophomore Bethany Mitchell and freshman infielder Gracie Boyd set the table. ART U had the tying run at the plate, but HPU managed to once again escape, going on to win 2-0.

The split moves Academy of Art to 5-16 overall and 4-6 in PacWest action. Seva'aetasi finished the day 3-for-7 with a double and two stolen bases, Hirsch had hits in both games at 2-for-5 with one run batted in, and the tandem of Mittman and Lopez each registered single RBIs in the first contest. Balke and Arnold-Jolley combined to allow just one earned run in 14.0 innings of work with Balke surrendering just five hits and two walks while striking out four. Arnold-Jolley allowed eight hits, walked two, and struck out two.

Hawaii Pacific remains right around .500 at 13-12 on the year and 8-8 in conference play. Sierra Dias ended the first game 1-for-3 with one RBI and Leipua Kaui went 3-for-3 with one RBI in the day's finale.

ART U and HPU will meet for a second doubleheader tomorrow back at Mission Blue Field beginning at noon.