IRVINE, Calif. – Out at Eagles Field to start their Southern California road trip on Friday, Academy of Art softball found itself trailing No. 15 Concordia by a single run in the middle innings of both sides of the Pacific West Conference doubleheader, but the Golden Eagles ended up winning 7-0 and 4-2 when the day's final out was made. A six-run fourth shifted momentum in the series opener then, while the Urban Knights had the tying run just 60 feet away late in the second contest, CUI once more managed to come away with the victory.
GAME 1 – #15 CUI 7, ART U 0
Following a run-scoring groundout by the Golden Eagles in the first inning, Academy of Art led off the fourth with singles from junior infielder
Haley Randall and freshman infielder
Audrey Allen. A double play and a flyout, however, would end the threat and CUI came back with six runs on four hits in their half of the frame to build a 7-0 advantage.
Urban Knights were again put into scoring position in the fifth, but the Golden Eagles got the outs they needed to exit the frame and went on to win 7-0.
GAME 2 – #15 CUI 4, ART U 2
Back-to-back singles led off the second contest as senior outfielder
Bethany Mitchell and Randall eventually set up junior utility
Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki for a run-producing single to put Academy of Art on the scoreboard first.
Solo home runs by Concordia in the first and second inning were supported by another run-scoring hit as the home team soon held a 3-1 lead moving to the third. Singles by graduate student outfielder
Nina Vallejos and Mitchell opened the fifth and, after the tying run would move into scoring position, junior infielder
Katie Humphreys delivered one of her teammates with a single to right field to make it a 3-2 ball game.
The Knights that followed up with a leadoff triple by Grayhorse-Pupecki in the sixth, giving her four on the season and eight in her career behind only her teammate Mitchell and
Haily MacDonald who currently share the program record. Grayhorse-Pupecki would end up stranded at third, however, and the Golden Eagles added on with one more in their half of the frame toward the eventual 4-2 victory.
Academy of Art moves to 7-34 overall and 3-17 in PacWest pairings. Grayhorse-Pupecki achieved her ninth multi-hit game, going 3-for-3 with one driven in and the triple in the second contest while Humphreys finished 1-for-3 with one run batted in as well. Mitchell was also 2-for-4 with a run scored in that game and the tandem of Randall and Allen each ended with hits in both sides of the doubleheader, both going 2-for-7.
Now winners of five straight, Concordia is 35-9 overall and 20-4 in conference following Sydney Sprinkle's big day at the plate, going 4-for-8 with three runs batted in, a home run, and two runs scored. Meanwhile, Katlin Entrup (13-3) collected the win in game one with no runs allowed on three hits plus one walk and six strikeouts in 5.0 innings before Daniela Alvarez (9-2) earned the win in the day's finale, matching her teammate's innings total with two runs allowed on eight hits, no walks, and three strikeouts. Callie Nunes picked up her third save of the season with two scoreless frames after the start from Alvarez.
The four-part series between the Knights and Golden Eagles wraps up with a noon doubleheader tomorrow.
