BRISBANE, Calif. – It couldn't have been a more fitting ending to Senior Day on Sunday as Academy of Art softball used back-to-back doubles from senior catcher/infielder Lauryn Henderson and senior catcher Alyssa Brundage to walk off 5-4 winners in game two of a Pacific West Conference split with Holy Names. Friends and family celebrated senior utility Alyssa Rasmussen, Brundage, and Henderson prior to the first pitch of game one, which the Hawks took 7-1, then a tie game was broken up in the bottom of the seventh inning as Henderson and Brundage combined to go 5-for-6 with three doubles, three runs scored, and two runs batted in with the last the difference in the 5-4 victory at Mission Blue Field.

GAME 1 – HNU 7, ART U 1
The Senior Day ceremony gave way to two scoreless innings exchanged by Academy of Art and Holy Names to begin the day with junior Haley Arnold-Jolley (2-15) holding the Hawks' offense at bay while Henderson connected for the third triple of her career (first of the season) in the opening frame only to be left stranded.

Two hits and an error allowed HNU to score twice in the third and that margin would remain for the two innings that followed. Sophomore outfielder Maddie Sticka led off the third with her third double of the season then singles by freshman utility Elle Edeker and sophomore pitcher/infielder Katie Humphreys came in the fourth, but ART U could not cash in the runners on both occasions.

Holy Names used four singles then a three-run homer to push its lead to 6-0 in the sixth and added another in the seventh, but Humphreys opened the seventh with the first home run of her collegiate career, a solo shot to left, before the contest ended with the Hawks on top 7-1.

GAME 2 – ART U 5, HNU 4
Both teams scored in the first frame of game two as a solo homer by HNU was answered by a pair of run-scoring singles from junior outfielder Bethany Mitchell and Humphreys in the bottom half.

A double and later a wild pitch tied things up at 2-2 in the second, but Academy of Art recaptured its lead in the bottom of the third. Beginning with a single from Henderson, ART U saw its baserunner move around on a sacrifice bunt and passed ball before a wild pitch scored her for the 3-2 advantage.

The Hawks once again quickly retied the game at 3-3 in the fourth and added one more, but they were answered in the fifth when Henderson led off with a double and later touched home plate on Brundage's single up the middle. Both sides were retired in order in the sixth, sophomore pitcher Jolene Rhoades (6-17) taking care of her end on six pitches before once again denying HNU in the seventh after a one-out triple.

Appropriately, the three Academy of Art seniors then each stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh in a 4-4 ballgame. Rasmussen grounded out, but Henderson then tied the program record with her 42nd career double ahead of the decisive hit from Brundage. She sent a 1-1 pitch to left that bounced over the fence for a ground rule double that stopped the game instantly as the Urban Knights encircled an emotional Brundage at second base to celebrate the 5-4 victory.

ART U, now 9-40 on the year and 6-20 in PacWest play, saw its most productive bat belong to Humphreys who finished 3-for-6 with three runs batted in, a homer, and one run scored. Henderson had at least one hit in each contest, ending 4-for-6 with two doubles, one triple, and three runs scored. Brundage was one of three Knights who logged two hits in game two, going 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Junior catcher/utility Cassandra Mittman also went 2-for-2 in that one while Mitchell added a 2-for-3 effort that included one RBI. Both Academy of Art pitchers tossed complete games on Sunday as Rhoades earned the win in the second contest, allowing four runs on eight hits with two walks and a strikeout in 7.0 innings of work.

Now with just two games against Dominican remaining on its schedule, HNU sits at 10-36 overall and 6-24 in conference action. Aly Cerda was the Hawks' leader on offense Sunday, going 4-for-8 with two home runs, a double, four driven in, and three runs scored. Haighley Kissee (5-12) picked up the game one win after 6.0 shutout innings with five hits, two walks, and three strikeouts before Dezirae Simon was tagged with the game two loss, providing 5.1 relief innings with two earned runs allowed on seven hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.

The Knights' regular season will conclude with a four-game series hosting Biola that begins Thursday, Apr. 28 at noon.