HILO, Hawaii – UH Hilo was not the only opponent for Academy of Art softball on Monday as both teams battled inclement weather out at UHH Softball Field. The start of the Urban Knights' 12-game Pacific West Conference roadtrip through Hawaii opened with a 12-1 win for the Vulcans prior to two rain delays in game two, the second of which suspended play until Tuesday.

GAME 1 – HILO 12, ART U 1 (5)
Though freshman infielder Haley Randall led off the game with her seventh double of the year, the Vulcans responded with three straight hits to start their half of the first inning. A five-run UH Hilo rally ensued and the lead grew with three more in the second.

After senior catcher/infielder Lauryn Henderson began the fourth inning with a double, bringing her to within four of the program's career record at 39 in her time with ART U, she would come home on a groundout by senior catcher Alyssa Brundage to put the Knights on the scoreboard.

A two-out single from Randall and a walk to graduate student utility Nina Vallejos set the table in the fifth, but the game would end with UH Hilo on top 12-1 when the final out was made thereafter.

GAME 2 - SUSPENDED
A rainy start to the second contest saw the teams persevere through as a hit batter and walk set up junior catcher/utility Cassandra Mittman's single plus an error for the first run before a heavier downpour forced a delay of more than 30 minutes. The Vulcans responded with five scores on five hits in the bottom of the first frame and, following a scoreless second, four walks in the third scored the Knights' third run of the day's finale before play was stopped and ultimately suspended due to a second rainstorm.

For Academy of Art, now 6-32 overall and 3-12 in PacWest play, two Urban Knights finished with two-hit performances in the completed contest. Rasmussen ended 2-for-2 while Randall was 2-for-3 with a double. Henderson's double made up her 1-for-3 effort which included a run scored and Brundage added the run batted in.

Picking up its seventh win at home this season, UH Hilo moves to 15-17 overall and 11-12 in conference action. Skylar Thomas led the way with a 3-for-4 game one that included three RBIs while Alexis Lacy (5-7) picked up the win with no runs allowed on three hits and one strikeout in 3.0 innings of work.

Following the resumption of game two tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. HT (1 p.m. PT), the third and fourth games of this series between Academy of Art and UH Hilo are scheduled to be played at noon HT (3 p.m. PT) and 2 p.m. HT (5 p.m. PT).