BRISBANE, Calif. – The Academy of Art University erased a 5-3 deficit with a four-run surge in the bottom of the sixth inning to earn a 7-5 comeback victory over visiting San Francisco State in the second game of a nonconference doubleheader Wednesday at Mission Blue Field. With the win, the Urban Knights completed with the sweep after posting a 6-5 eight-inning triumph in game one.

 

In the nightcap, the Gators pushed across four runs in the top of the fourth, capitalizing on an ART U error to grab a 4-1 lead. Cara Spence and Summer Powell hit back-to-back RBI singles, while Rachael Kroneder followed with a walk to load the bases. Moments later, Heather Jensen reached on an infield miscue as Spence and Powell raced home.

 

After the Knights' Alana Aweau and Andrea Hanchey delivered run-scoring singles in the bottom of the fourth to narrow the gap to 4-3, SF State (16-33) plated a run in the top of the sixth as Jensen's base hit up the middle drove in Kelly McDonald, who entered as a pinch-runner on Spence's lead-off single and moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt and Kroneder's sharp grounder through the right side.

 

However, ART U (25-17) turned the tables on their guests, taking advantage of a Gator error in the bottom of the frame to forge a 7-5 lead it would not relinquish. Elyse Cordova led off with a bunt single, took third on a wild pitch and promptly touched home on Lauren Stover's single through the left side. Shortly thereafter, Hanchey got aboard on an infield error, while Genna Allen singled to the load the bases. Nicole Smith then plated Stover with a base hit through the right side, while Jayme Stewart followed with a two-run single to close out the scoring.

 

Lea Cardenas led off with her second double of the game in the top of the seventh, but was left stranded as ART U reliever Kimberly Dauer induced three straight fly balls to end the game. Dauer (7-4) pitched the final 1 2/3 innings to pick up the victory after taking over for starter Katie Brooks, who gave up all five runs on 11 hits and one walk. Conversely, Kendra Wood (1-3) absorbed the loss after allowing seven runs (four earned) on 14 hits and two walks to go along with six strikeouts.

Kendra Wood went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored for SF State, while Cardenas, Jensen and Powell finished with two hits each. Similarly, the Knights had four players with multiple hits, led by Cordova's 3-for-4 effort.

 

The Gators banged out 12 hits in the opener, but were unable to avoid defeat as Smith singled home Hanchey with one out in the bottom of the eighth to give ART U the 6-5 win.

 

Things looked good for SF State in the early going as the visitors raced to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, highlighted by Kelsey Wood's run-scoring single and Kendra Wood's RBI double. However, the Knights answered with a pair of markers in their half of the inning as Allen singled home Aweau, while Alyssa Hickey's reached on a fielder's to plate Cordova, trimming the margin to 3-2.

 

After the two sides traded scores in the third, featuring Kelsey Wood's fourth homer of the season, ART U went out in front 5-4 as Aweau went deep with a two-run blast over the fence in right center, knocking in Julie Martin, who drew a one-out walk.

 

The Gators knotted the score at 5-5 in the sixth when Cardenas singled in Kylie Herrada, who previously reached on a fielder's choice and took third on Alyssa Esquibel's double.

SF State put a runner aboard in the seventh and eighth, but came up empty in both frames.

 

In the bottom of the eighth, Hanchey led off with a walk and advanced on a sacrifice, followed by an intentional walk to Hickey and another base on balls to Stewart. Smith then entered as a pinch-hitter and singled up the middle on a 1-1 pitch for the game winner.

 

Ashley Jackson (9-16) was saddled with the loss after allowing all six runs on nine hits and four walks in 7 1/3 innings, while Brooks (6-4) collected the victory, yielding one run on six hits and two walks in five innings after relieving Dauer.

 

All nine Gator starters had at least one hit, including two apiece by Jensen, Kelsey Wood and Kendra Wood, who finished with two doubles, giving her 34 for her career, which ranks fourth in school history. Meanwhile, Aweau (two hits, two runs) and Hickey notched two RBI apiece in the win.

 

SF State closes out its 2011 campaign this weekend, April 22-23, when it travels to Cal State Stanislaus for a four-game series in Turlock, Calif.

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score