COSTA MESA, Calif. – Monday's finale to the Pacific West Conference series between Academy of Art softball and Vanguard saw plenty of scoreless innings exchanged, but in the end, the home team at VU Softball Field prevailed on both sides of the doubleheader, 4-0 and 3-0.

GAME 1 – VU 4, ART U 0
Though the Lions threatened with two runners on in each of the first four frames, sophomore pitcher/utility Kayla Vaughan (4-12) worked with her defense to keep the third game of the series at 0-0. Scoring opportunities came for the Urban Knights in the fifth when singles by senior catcher/infielder Liberty Herrera and freshman outfielder Danielle Shinko then junior infielder Audrey Allen and graduate student outfielder Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki had two on twice, but Vanguard wound up being the first to strike.

Academy of Art quickly got the first two outs of the sixth, however, an error with two on thereafter proved costly as multiple extra-base hits followed and the home team soon won 4-0. Vaughan did not surrender an earned run on five hits and struck out two in her 5.2 innings of work.

GAME 2 – VU 3, ART U 0
Grayhorse-Pupecki reached third base in the first scoring threat of the series finale yet the Lions managed to exit unscathed and went on to rally in their half of the frame as a walk, an error, and a hit resulted in their 2-0 advantage.

Though ART U had runners in scoring position in the next two innings the VU margin grew to 3-0 in the fifth and held up the rest of the way despite the tying run stepping to the play in the seventh after Vaughan's single and a walk to senior utility Alexis Folks. Junior pitcher Kamielle Powell (2-17) did not allow an earned run in the contest over 3.0 innings of her 18th start of the year.

ART U totaled 10 hits on the day while moving to 6-30 overall and 4-17 in PacWest play. Among the Knights with singles in both contests were Grayhorse-Pupecki (2-for-5, one stolen base) and Allen (2-for-7) while Vaughan went 2-for-3 in the series finale.

Rising to 11-24 on the year and 6-13 in conference action, Vanguard got two extra-base hits from Amarah Farley, who finished 2-for-6 with two driven in, along with the tandem of Brianna Williams (5-11) and LeeAnne Miranda (3-4) who each logged complete game shutouts with the former giving up four hits and one walk with four strikeouts and the latter being tagged for six hits plus two walks with four strikeouts as well.

The second of two Southern California series for Academy of Art starts this Wednesday, Apr. 2 when the Knights face Azusa Pacific in a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Cougar Softball Field.