BRISBANE, Calif. – Jessup's championship defense is officially underway, as the Warriors visited Academy of Art on Wednesday for opening day of the 2023 season. The newcomers who make the 2023 roster formally introduced themselves on Wednesday, as Jessup relied on many of their new additions to secure a two-game sweep.
After the game, reigning GSAC Coach of the Year
Brie Campbell stated, "Today was a great way to start the season. The drive these ladies showed to battle back and forth in game one and come from behind in game two shows their determination to get better with each pitch."
The impact of Jessup's newbies would come in game two, as the opener was dominated by several names already known well across the GSAC. Two of those providing the spark came in the battery combo of
Katie Blankenheim and
Aaliyah Pineda.
Blankenheim, coming off a 21-4 season a year ago, tossed six innings in game one as she picked up her first win of the season. The right-hander allowed three runs on eight hits while striking out three.
Bella MacFarlane earned her first collegiate save, tossing a scoreless seventh.
On Blankenheim's outing, Campbell added, "Katie picked up right where she left off, leading us in the circle with minimal runs and hits. She will continue to grow and I'm excited to see her leadership in the circle."
"More importantly, our pitching staff as a whole worked well through every situation. Bella as a freshman coming in to close both games and Serena pitching three innings while allowing only a single hit after a week off gave us a great look for a busy non-conference ahead."
At the plate, Jessup's catcher
Aaliyah Pineda provided the spark as she went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Her final RBI came in the seventh as she doubled to right-center, plating the last insurance run in a 6-3 win.
Game one was tied through five, as the Knights scored in the inning to tie things at five. Campbell looked to her bench in the sixth as
Hannah Aguilar stepped up to pinch hit with two on. Aguilar responded with a double down the left field line, plating
Lexi Watson. Aguilar would later score on an error.
The game one victory marks seven years in a row where the Warriors have started the season in the win column. To start 2-0, Jessup would need to mount a comeback.
Campbell penciled in
Terra Goetz as the game two starter. Goetz lasted three innings, two of which she held the Knights to a zero in the run column. But the inning that hurt was the first as Academy of Art plated four, taking a 4-0 lead before fans could settle back into their seats.
But in typical Jessup fashion, the Warriors would not back down. Newcomer
Olivia Dominguez got Jessup on the board in the second with an RBI single. Two more newcomers, Watson and
Karlie Bilbrey, trimmed the score to 4-3 in the fourth when they both scored on an error. The equalizer came on an RBI triple from, you guessed it, another newcomer,
Neva Adams.
Tied at four in the fifth,
Sarah Giles introduced herself with a solo home run to left-center. Giles narrowly missed out on a homer in game one, as she had to settle for a sacrifice fly.
Jessup would tack on three more insurance runs over the next inning, giving them the room they needed to pick up win number two.
"Our bats were slow, but as we get innings, they will come alive," concluded Campbell. "I believe this team will do great things as we progress through this season, one game at a time."
Serena Navarrete, who pitched four shutout innings in relief, earned the victory in game two. The win is her first with the Warriors.
At 2-0, Jessup will look to continue what could set up to be a great start when they host Antelope Valley on Friday. The doubleheader will take place at Wilson Park, with first pitch coming at 3 p.m.
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Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
