SAN FRANCISCO – The first games for Academy of Art softball in nearly two weeks were loaded with excitement as the Urban Knights faced off against fellow San Francisco rival SF State out at SFSU Softball Field on Thursday. ART U held a lead early in the opening contest and, after multiple Gator home runs, nearly came back in the final frame, but a 3-2 win for SF State ensued. Both sides scored in the early innings of game two then Academy of Art plated five in the last three frames yet the Gators again claimed an 11-7 victory.

GAME 1 – SFSU 3, ART U 2
After exchanging scoreless first trips to the plate, both sides put one run on the board in the second inning with senior catcher/utility Cassandra Mittman's single the first of four hits. Junior utility Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki provided the single that drove in the Urban Knights' first run, but the Gators almost instantly responded with a solo home run moments later, leaving the contest tied 1-1.

Two hits were aided by an error in the second as SF State moved in front 2-1 then, after freshman pitcher Kamielle Powell (3-6) and the Academy of Art defense held the Gators in check for the next two frames, another solo homer in the sixth made it a 3-1 ballgame.

After sophomore infielder/pitcher Elle Edeker reached on an error with one out, Grayhorse-Pupecki delivered once again, doubling home her teammate. A groundout later, ART U had the tying run just 60 feet away, but the home team managed to secure the final out and a 3-2 win.

GAME 2 – SFSU 11, ART U 7
The two runs scored by SF State in the opening stanza were matched by Academy of Art in the second when Edeker drove in her two teammates who reached ahead of her, but the Gators came back with five in their half of the second to make it a 7-2 ballgame.

The Knights took one step toward the comeback with three consecutive singles in the fifth, the last a run-scoring hit by Mittman, then three more swings of the bat led to a three-run rally in the sixth. A walk by Grayhorse-Pupecki and a single from freshman catcher Alexus Sorenson set up Randall for a two-out  single to score one before senior outfielder Bethany Mitchell turned a ball down the right field line into her seventh career triple (tied for second-most in ART U history), clearing the bases for an 8-6 contest.

A two-run homer was among the three-run response by SF State in their half of the sixth, but another Grayhorse-Pupecki double in the seventh brought the Knights to within four prior to the game ending with the Gators on top 11-7.

Academy of Art moves to 3-11 overall this season now with both Grayhorse-Pupecki and Randall each sporting five-game hitting streaks. Grayhorse-Pupecki doubled in both games as part of a 3-for-6 day with three runs batted in while Randall drove in one and scored twice in a 3-for-7 effort. Edeker notched two RBIs and scored three runs in a 2-for-6 combined doubleheader and Mitchell finished the second contest 2-for-4 with two RBIs and the triple. Powell finished the twin bill with two earned runs allowed on eight hits and one walk plus one strikeout in a 6.0 innings.

SF State, now 7-10 overall, had productive days from Daniella Guerra and Teya Vincent who combined to go 5-for-11 with three home runs and six runs batted in. Kaitlyn Maddux (4-3) collected the win in the opening contest with one earned run allowed on six hits and two walks across 7.0 innings while Madeline Eshbach (1-2) won the second contest after surrendering four runs on eight hits with one strikeout in 6.1 innings of work.

Anticipated inclement weather this weekend has pushed the Urban Knights' first Pacific West Conference series, a noon doubleheader at Dominican in San Rafael, to Tuesday, Mar. 7.