BRISBANE, Calif. – Though Academy of Art softball struck first in each game and finished the afternoon with 15 total hits, Saturday's Pacific West Conference doubleheader was won by Holy Names at Mission Blue Field. A 1-0 lead for ART U held through the first four innings of game one before a late push by the Hawks enabled the visitors to prevail 6-3. The day's second contest saw the Urban Knights match their season high with three doubles for the third time in their past three games with one by senior catcher/utility Cassandra Mittman providing a 2-0 advantage to start, but HNU once again rallied in the innings that followed, collecting a 14-5 victory in the end.

GAME 1 – HNU 6, ART U 3
Both sides put runners into scoring position in each of the first three innings before Academy of Art came through with the game's first run in the bottom of the third. A one-out double by senior outfielder Bethany Mitchell was soon followed by junior infielder Haley Randall's shot down the right field line which produced another double and a 1-0 lead.

Working on a shutout, senior pitcher Haley Arnold-Jolley (2-17) was threatened by the Hawks in the fourth, but freshman pitcher Kamielle Powell (5-13) was able to induce three straight outs to preserve the margin. The fifth inning, however, saw three hits combine with an error to put the visitors in front 2-0 before they added on with three more in the sixth. Later in that frame, ART U brought both of its baserunners home on a double by junior outfielder Maddie Sticka, effectively cutting the difference to just two runs.

Another score in the seventh elevated Holy Names to 6-3, however, a Mitchell walk and Randall single brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the Knights' last chance. Ela Villanueva, who had entered in the sixth, managed to get the final two outs for the save to preserve her teams' victory.

GAME 2 – HNU 14, ART U 5 (5)
After Arnold-Jolley retired Holy Names in order to start the day's finale, Academy of Art went right to work in the bottom of the first with a leadoff double by Mitchell and a single from Randall. Three batters later, a pair of runners were in scoring position for Mittman who promptly doubled both in for the 2-0 lead.

Three HNU doubles in the second put the visitors up 3-2 and rallies in each of the next three innings steadily built their 14-2 advantage. Sticka continued to drive in runs before the afternoon was done as another two came in on her first career triple in the fifth, but the Hawks would hold off the comeback as 14-5 winners thereafter.

ART U, now 7-32 overall and 3-15 in PacWest play, got a total of four runs batted in from Sticka who finished 2-for-5 with one run scored, a double, and a triple which helped the Knights set a new program single-season record with 11 thus far in 2023. Mittman was 2-for-3 with two driven in and a double in game two while Randall added a 3-for-7 effort on the day, driving in one and doubling once. Mitchell registered three doubles in her 3-for-4 twin bill, scoring twice and stealing a base and Allen went 3-for-6 with two runs scored.

Improving to 11-20 on the year and 8-9 in conference action, Holy Names was led offensively by Olivia Lee's 3-for-8 performance that included five runs batted in, three runs scored, a double, a triple, and a stolen base while Melody Gomez (3-2) and Kelsey Volkmar (4-5) each notched wins despite each allowing three runs on five hits in their respective outings.

Academy of Art will be head out on the road for its next eight contests, playing two four-game series at Concordia (Apr. 14-15) and Biola (Apr. 17-18).