HAYWARD, Calif. – Facing just a one-run deficit for a significant portion of Saturday's Pacific West Conference doubleheader, Academy of Art softball could not overcome late offense by UH Hilo, falling 4-2 and 6-0 on Saturday at Chabot College.
GAME 1 – HILO 4, ART U 2
Though the Vulcans struck once in each of the day's first two innings, the Urban Knights were able to quickly halve that margin in the second with senior catcher/infielder
Liberty Herrera's second home run of the year. Her solo shot was countered by a sacrifice fly from UH Hilo in the third, but the contest returned to one run separating the sides at 3-2 when sophomore outfielder
Ari Mallari and senior utility
Alexis Folks roped back-to-back two-out doubles in the fifth.
The visitors used a run-scoring triple to gain a 4-2 advantage in the seventh and, though Mallari doubled to bring the potential tying run to the plate later that frame, ART U fell 4-2. Junior pitcher
Kamielle Powell (2-10) ended up with just three earned runs as well as two strikeouts allowed in her seventh complete game of the season.
GAME 2 – HILO 6, ART U 0

After being held to a single run despite the threat of more in the first inning of game two, UH Hilo saw seven of its next eight batters retired for a 1-0 ballgame in the fourth. The difference became 4-0 during that frame, 5-0 in the next, and 6-0 in the sixth as the Vulcans steadily expanded their margin. Walks and a single by Mallari allowed Academy of Art to put a runner on for the third time in the sixth, but the visitors held on for the victory in the end.
ART U, now 2-21 on the year and 1-9 versus PacWest opponents, was led by Mallari's 3-for-6 day that included two doubles, Herrera's 1-for-3 first game which featured her homer plus one run batted in, and Folks 1-for-3 effort with a double and one driven in during that same contest.
UH Hilo improves to 15-12 overall and 9-5 in conference action with the two victories which were powered by two runs batted in apiece for Victoria Macias and Mariah Antoque. Meanwhile, Madison Rabe (5-1) struck out eight with two runs allowed in 7.0 innings of the opening contest before Chloe Sales (3-3) logged a one-hit shutout with three strikeouts in the second game.
Academy of Art returns to Chabot College tomorrow for a 10 a.m. series finale.