HAYWARD, Calif. – After seeing Azusa Pacific suddenly shift momentum in the finish to its previously halted game with Azusa Pacific, Academy of Art softball could not overcome the Cougars' offense in the final two parts to the week's Pacific West Conference series out at Chabot College. A grand slam in the sixth inning propelled APU to a 6-4 win to begin Friday then a 10-3 win was followed by a 12-1 result that completed the sweep for the visitors.

SERIES GAME 2 – APU 6, ART U 4
Resuming play after the contest had been halted with Academy of Art ahead 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, two singles and a walk fortuitously loaded the bases in the sixth before Azusa Pacific sent a grand slam beyond the left field fence to move in front 5-4. The Urban Knights put two runners of their own on base in the home half, but could not deliver the equalizer and APU would go on to add one more before sealing the 6-4 victory.

SERIES GAME 3 – APU 10, ART U 3
Each team plated a run on two hits in the first inning as the first full game of the afternoon got underway. Battling back against APU's initial score, junior utility Alexis Folks led off with a single and soon a walk put senior infielder Katie Humphreys in a position to drive in her teammate for a 1-1 ballgame.

Three hits produced a total of three runs for the Cougars in the second and two more came home on an error in the third. The 6-1 margin was shortened in the fourth when a double play helped ART U keep the visitors from adding on then senior outfielder Maddie Sticka provided the Knights' third hit of the frame, a two-run double, to make it 6-3. Scoring twice more in both the fifth and seventh innings, however, Azusa Pacific ended on top 10-3.

SERIES GAME 4 – APU 12, ART U 1 (5)
After beginning the series finale with a run in the first, the Cougars followed a three-run triple with a three-run homer to gain an 8-0 advantage. APU expanded the margin to 12-0, but could not complete the shutout as Academy of Art had senior infielder Haley Randall double to start the fifth then come home on a pinch-hit single by sophomore utility Alexus Sorenson before the day ended on a 12-1 final.

The Urban Knights finish their third PacWest series at 7-14 overall and 3-9 versus conference opponents. Randall, who had a hit in each game of the series, went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in the last two contests while Humphreys finished 2-for-3 with one run batted in and one run scored in game three.

Azusa Pacific returns home from the Bay Area 12-6 overall and 5-1 in conference action. Going 6-for-8 with five RBIs in the series' final two games was Bella Fraser and the combination of Ally Chin (3-for-8) and Caitlin DeCanio (1-for-1) each collected four RBIs across the last doubleheader. Winning pitchers in games three and four were Mia Castillo (2-1) and Katie Korstrom (7-1) who combined to allow four runs on nine hits with four walks and nine strikeouts in 14.0 innings pitched.

PacWest play next sees ART U face Dominican for the first time this season in a noon doubleheader on Mar. 16 in San Rafael.