HAYWARD, Calif. – In action at home for the first time this season, Academy of Art softball nearly completed a late comeback in the opening contest which Simon Fraser held on to win 4-2 then, after an early rally in the second, the Urban Knights exchanged scoreless frames the rest of the way as sophomore pitcher
Kamielle Powell (1-1) signed off on her second collegiate shutout in the 1-0 victory out at Pioneer Field on Friday.
GAME 1 – SFU 4, ART U 2
Though the Red Leafs put two on in the opening inning, they were held from scoring until four hits produced two runs in the second frame. Freshman pitcher
Talyn Fordham (0-1) and the defense behind her proceeded to retire seven of the next nine batters, but two walks in the fifth ended up giving SFU its third run before Fordham promptly struck out the final two hitters she faced in the inning.
A one-out double by senior infielder
Haley Randall in the fifth was soon followed by senior infielder
Elle Edeker's run-scoring hit to put Academy of Art on the scoreboard. Then, after junior utility
Alexis Folks led off the sixth with a single and freshman outfielder
Lida Wos' speed got her to third, senior infielder
Katie Humphreys delivered ART U's second run with a single.
In what was technically her second start of the season (her first came in ART U's unfinished game versus Sonoma State on Feb. 11), Fordham finished the complete 7.0 innings with four runs allowed on six hits with six walks and nine strikeouts. The scoreboard favored the visitors 4-2 heading into the seventh, but the Knights would put the potential tying-run on second with two outs, but SFU held on to win.
GAME 2 – ART U 1, SFU 0
Two strikeouts from Powell dodged a threat in the opening frame of the day's finale before a Folks walk turned into a run when Humphreys connected on another single three batters later. Five consecutive Red Leafs retired helped Powell maintain the 1-0 advantage into the third inning where a groundout got her out of a bases-loaded jam.
Singles by senior outfielder
Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki, sophomore infielder
Audrey Allen, and Humphreys countered with ART U's own opportunity with the bases loaded, but the Knights could not add to their lead. Powell pitched around two hits in the fifth then surrendered just one in the final two frames as junior catcher/infielder
Liberty Herrera's quick throw to third caught SFU trying to steal to end the game 1-0 in Academy of Art's favor.
Powell's second collegiate shutout saw her allow no runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work. The performance came in just her third start since blanking Dominican on
Apr. 28 last year.
The Urban Knights move to 4-5 on the season following the day's split which saw Humphreys drive in a run in each contest as part of a 3-for-6 day with two RBIs and now a nine-game reached base streak while Edeker plated one as part of her 1-for-3 first game and junior infielder
Morgan Shults elevated her batting average tremendously with a 3-for-3 second contest. Randall and Grayhorse-Pupecki each doubled on the day as well.
Simon Fraser, now 3-5 overall this year, got a pair of run-producing 1-for-3 efforts from Grace McMillan and Caitlin Zagari in the first game then saw Megan Duclos go 3-for-4 in the finale. Julia Hansen (2-1) allowed just one hit in four shutout innings to earn the win in the first game after Monica Borque (1-2) picked up the save then Borque took the tough loss in the second contest, surrendering one run on eight hits in 6.0 innings of work.
Academy of Art begins Pacific West Conference play next by hosting Biola for a four-games series across Feb. 23-24.
