Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Brisbane, CA – In a much-awaited homecoming to Mission Blue Field, ART U Softball finished off a season sweep of Holy Names with victories of 8-7 and 11-5. A Wednesday packed with Urban Knights offense began by seeing Academy of Art get ahead 7-4 in the opener, but after the Hawks tied it, a run in the sixth inning gave the home team their edge. Game two featured a six-run third and a three-run rally late to push ART U to its ninth Pacific West conference win.

In the Knights' first, Jessica West led off with a double and soon the bases were loaded after an error and a walk to Taylor Thurman. A dropped ball by the HNU catcher on a play at the plate along with Jasmine Dickenson's RBI groundout had Academy of Art up 2-0 early on.

The Hawks got one back in the second, but the Knights kept their foot on the gas pedal with another rally in the third initiated by Elyse Cordova's triple to center. Thurman delivered Cordova on a single down the left field line and Elise Oldham promptly smacked a RBI single up the middle. Shortly thereafter, Lauren Stover slammed a RBI double and ART U now rose ahead 5-1.

Answering back, Holy Names plated three in the fourth though the one-run margin was quickly widened when West started the bottom half of the inning by reaching on an error. It was none other than Thurman who again drove in her teammate on another shot down the left field line after which Dickenson singled to center to bring home Thurman.

Although ART U was now ahead 7-4, the Hawks had one more rally in them. It was an eventful sixth with HNU scoring three times in the top half to tie game one 7-7 before the Knights broke the tie on a Thurman double and two wild pitches. Alexa Peters (2-2), who had come on to relieve Carlee Emerson in the sixth picked up the victory after tossing 1.2 scoreless innings with only a hit and a walk allowed.


A 1-0 lead for Academy of Art came in the first frame of game two after Kamyle Glover scored on a throwing error. That margin held up until the bottom of the third when ART U's offense erupted for six runs. With the bases loaded, Thurman hit a RBI single, Oldham plated two with her single, a run came in on an error, and finally Alexandra "Lexie" Hernandez singled home two again with the bases juiced.

Resilient as they were in the first contest, Holy Names came back from their 7-0 deficit with a three-run push in the fifth. The Knights, however, added to their lead in that same inning on Stover's RBI double which brought her to within one RBI of the career leader. Academy of Art's 8-3 advantage became 8-4 in the first half of the sixth, but was then extended in the bottom half.

After starting with a double from Haily MacDonald, Glover was aggressive on the basepaths with her teammate, inducing a throwing error which scored MacDonald. Cordova then brought in Glover with her double down the left field line and later Oldham notched her third RBI of the game on a single. Holy Names got one back in the seventh, but the margin held up and ART U secured the 11-5 victory. Jill Johnson (7-9) would pitch a complete 7.0 innings, allowing four earned runs while striking out seven in the win.

ART U improves to 12-20 overall and 9-7 in PacWest play with the day's results. Oldham's 4-for-7 twinbill included four RBIs while Thurman was 4-for-7 as well with four runs scored, three RBIs, and a double. Cordova was 4-for-8 on the day with a double, triple, RBI, and three runs scored. Stover drove in one in each contest and Dickenson went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, two runs scored, and a double.

Academy of Art next plays host to Azusa Pacific on Friday and Saturday (Apr. 11-12) for a four-game series back at Mission Blue Field. Both doubleheaders are set to start at 12:00 PM.