Knights Knock Off No. 13 Sonoma State, CSUSB In Defensive Sweep

TURLOCK, Calif. – Academy of Art University played 14.0 innings of softball to start the Tournament of Champions on Friday and did not allow a run. In fact, only five total hits were surrendered as the Urban Knights were once again led by freshman pitchers Brooke Larsen (13-2) and Cecilia Lopez (6-4) in a 3-0 victory over No. 13 Sonoma State (the second-highest ranked opponent ART U has defeated to date) and a 1-0 triumph versus Cal State San Bernardino in the nightcap.

"Our pitching and defense was phenomenal," said head coach Sonja Garnett. "We just had to allow ourselves an opportunity to break through offensively and, even though it was late in each game, we got it done."

GAME 1 – ART U 3, #13 SSU 0
Although Academy of Art immediately built a scoring opportunity on a leadoff single by sophomore outfielder Gabi Hirsch and freshman infielder Jayda Alaan's 19th hit by pitch, a total of six scoreless innings would be exchanged in the day's first contest. Another chance came for ART U in the third when two-out singles by Alaan and senior utility Brenna Mitchell set the table for senior infielder Samantha Klune. Though Klune connected for a single to left, aggressive base-running challenged the outfielder's arm and proved to be unsuccessful as the throw home was in time to end the half inning.

Larsen retired the first seven batters she faced, five via strikeout, and though she allowed a walk in the third, freshman catcher Alyssa Brundage would nab the runner trying to steal second to keep Larsen in her rhythm. Sonoma State opened the fourth with a single, but Brundage once again caught her attempting to swipe second and the game soon moved into the fifth where the defensive highlights would continue.

A single started the fifth yet just two pitches later, in a bunt situation, Academy of Art read the situation to perfection as Alaan collected the bunt threw to Klune at second who fired it over to sophomore infielder Gracie Sotomayor covering first for the double play. Fired up after that play, the Knights got through another scoreless inning in the sixth before they made their decisive move.

Sotomayor started the seventh with a single then a fielding error led Garnett to bring in freshman catcher Lauryn Henderson for a pinch-hit appearance and, on the first pitch she saw, sent the ball deep down the right field line for a run-scoring double. Thereafter, Alaan brought another run in on her infield single and a delayed double steal ended the inning, but not before sophomore utility Dominique Seva'aetasi took home to put ART U up 3-0.

Maintaining that lead was no problem for Larsen in the bottom of the seventh as three straight groundouts ended the game and gave Academy of Art its third win over a ranked team this season.

"We prepare to play the best version of our game we can and try to stay locked in every single pitch," said Garnett.

GAME 2 – ART U 1, CSUSB 0
In a similar game to the first, five scoreless innings started off the 7 p.m. matchup of Academy of Art and Cal State San Bernardino. The Knights once again put runners on base in each of those frames with another hit by pitch from Alaan in the first starting things off. Larsen and junior infielder Brenna Youngquist hit back-to-back singles in the second, Allan had a single in the third, and Klune also singled in the fourth, but none were turned into runs.

Meanwhile, Lopez retired nine of the first 10 batters she faced including a five-pitch third inning that saw the Coyotes go down in order. She would exit after 4.2 scoreless frames when a single paired with an error in the fifth sent ART U to its bullpen and Larsen once more. Fittingly, she struck out the frame's final batter to keep it a 0-0 game, and then, in the sixth, Academy of Art got on the scoreboard.

Mitchell opened the inning with a double, was bunted to third by Klune, and after Henderson worked eight pitches into a walk, Sotomayor executed a dramatic suicide squeeze bunt single which scored Mitchell. Up 1-0 heading into the seventh, Larsen held the line, retiring the first two batters before striking out the final batter.

The day's results push ART U's overall record to 21-11 and give them a five-game win streak. No. 13 Sonoma State marked the program's second-highest ranked opponent the Knights have defeated with the top being Academy of Art's 2011 shutout of No. 7 Hawaii Pacific. Larsen became the program's single-season shutout leader, logging her sixth versus the Seawolves with just two hits and two walks allowed in addition to seven strikeouts. After Lopez held the Coyotes to just three hits and walk through 4.2 scoreless innings, Larsen returned to earn her 13th win of the season with 2.1 hitless shutout relief innings that saw her walk only one and strike out three.

Offensively, Henderson was 1-for-1 with the double and one of her team's two runs batted in against SSU. Sotomayor would have the RBI versus CSUSB, finishing the day 2-for-6 with a run scored and a stolen base as well. Alaan went 3-for-5 with a RBI and a stolen base while also increasing her total as the NCAA Division II leader in hit by pitch to 20. Mitchell was 2-for-6 with a double and scored the winning run against the Coyotes, Klune went 2-for-5 on the day, and Hirsch went 2-for-7 at the top of the order.

No. 13 Sonoma State, who also took a 9-2 loss to Chaminade on day one of the tournament, drops to 19-9 on the year while Cal State San Bernardino, who came into the matchup with the Knights having defeated Holy Names 7-0, fell to 15-10.

Despite some rain anticipated in tomorrow's forecast, the Tournament of Champions will continue as scheduled with Academy of Art first taking on Northwest Nazarene at 12:30 p.m. then Cal State Dominguez Hills at 3 p.m. Both games will be played at the Turlock Sports Complex (Mountain View Road).

"Today felt great," said Garnett. "I think our athletes are in a really great space mentally and I think they're ready to come back and start strong tomorrow". Today.