AZUSA, Calif. – Academy of Art softball began its first four-game Pacific West Conference series of the season on Friday, battling Azusa Pacific at Cougar Softball Field. Despite not allowing an earned run through the first four innings of game one, ART U dropped a 4-0 decision to the Cougars then the Urban Knights struck first in the second contest with a two-run triple from senior catcher/utility Cassandra Mittman, but APU answered with multi-run rallies to win 9-2.

GAME 1 – APU 4, ART U 0
After exchanging three scoreless frames to start, senior pitcher Haley Arnold-Jolley (0-9) and Cougars starter Katie Korstrom (7-3) had combined to allow just five total hits to that point in the series opener. A leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth, however, soon resulted in the game's first run as an ensuing error on a bunt attempt put APU in front 1-0.

Korstrom helped her own cause with a two-run homer in the fifth then a run-scoring single in the sixth before returning to the pitcher's circle to finish the complete game, claiming a 4-0 win for her squad when the final out was made.

GAME 2 – APU 9, ART U 2
After the break, Academy of Art wasted no time putting its first runs on the board as a single by junior infielder Haley Randall soon led to a pair of runners on. Mittman then stepped to the plate and promptly sent the ball past two Cougar gloves for the first triple of her career to clear the bases and give the Knights a 2-0 advantage.

The margin did not last long though because four hits combined with two errors to give Azusa Pacific a 4-2 lead in the bottom half of the opening frame. APU added two more scores in the third as well as the fifth and, though a pair of Knights moved into scoring position in the fifth, the Cougars were able to emerge with the 9-2 victory in the end.

Academy of Art moves to 3-17 on the season and 0-4 in PacWest play after Mittman went 1-for-2 with the triple and two runs batted in while Randall had hits in both contests as part of a 2-for-6 day with a her fifth stolen base of the year and one run scored. Arnold-Jolley did not surrender an earned run in her 4.0 innings of work in the first contest.

Azusa Pacific, now 13-14 overall and 5-9 in conference games, rode the bat of Korstrom (3-for-3, three runs batted in) in the first game then a 2-for-4 effort from Mia Alvarez that included two runs batted in during game two. The Cougars got complete games from both Korstrom (7.0 innings pitched, no runs, two hits, and one walk allowed, nine strikeouts) and Sydnie Sahhar (3-4) (7.0 innings pitched, two runs, two hits, and one walk allowed, four strikeouts).

Both ART U and APU will finish their four-game conference series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at noon.