TUCSON, Ariz. – Early offense sent both Academy of Art softball opponents, Minot State and Northwest Nazarene, to wins over ART U in action on the second day of the Montana State Billings Desert Stinger from Lincoln Park. The Beavers won 10-1 after beginning with a three-run first inning and the Nighthawks finished with a 19-0 win, getting more than half of those runs in the opening stanza.

GAME 1 – MINOT 10, ART U 1 (5)
Two Urban Knights, sophomore infielder Haley Randall and senior catcher/infielder Lauryn Henderson, reached base via walks in the first inning, but Minot State struck first with five hits yielding a 3-0 lead in the bottom half.

The Beavers added six more in the second frame against which Academy of Art nearly broke through by loading the bases in the third, but a groundout kept the difference at nine. Both sophomore outfielder/catcher Tori Smith and senior catcher Alyssa Brundage singled and stole bases in fourth yet Minot State was again able to exit the threat unscathed.

ART U rallied in the fifth by way of freshman utility Elle Edeker's leadoff single and Henderson's run-scoring double two batters later prior to the game ending with the Beavers on top 10-1.

GAME 2 – NNU 19, ART U 0 (5)
Following three fielding errors, Northwest Nazarene jumped out to an early lead, rallying for 13 unearned runs in the first inning.

Though Academy of Art had at least one hit in each of the five innings that followed, including doubles by Henderson and Edeker, runners did not advance past third base and combined with smaller scoring pushes by NNU toward the 19-0 final.

The day's results moves ART U to 0-9 on the season with Edeker's double and stolen base included in her pair of two-hit games (4-for-6) for now three in a row. After walking twice in the first contest, Randall finished game two 2-for-2 while Henderson doubled once in each contest as part of a 2-for-4 effort which included a run batted in.

Minot State improves to 5-2 with the victory thanks in large part to Izzy Penner's two-homer day which saw her go 3-for-3 with four RBIs. Wrapping up its Saturday tripleheader with two consecutive wins, NNU finishes its first two tournaments of the season with a 5-5 overall record led by Ivy Hommel's five RBIs and a home run in a 2-for-4 performance.

Academy of Art concludes the Desert Stinger tomorrow with a 9:30 a.m. MT (8:30 a.m. PT) matchup with Washburn at Lincoln Park - Field 3.