AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific put together 20 hits in two games of Saturday's Pacific West Conference softball doubleheader, but the Cougars suffered a doubleheader sweep and dropped three of four to Academy of Art in the PacWest-opening series with Saturday's 5-3 and 9-4 defeats.

The Cougars left the bases loaded in each of the final three innings of the opening game but only had two runs to show for the offensive threat as Urban Knights pitcher Brenna Mitchell was able to escape each jam and hang on for the win. Mitchell stranded 13 Azusa Pacific baserunners, scattering three runs on 11 hits and four walks while the Academy of Art offense scored runs in four of the first five innings to get the early lead for Mitchell to protect.

Senior second baseman Katrina Oviedo, sophomore third baseman Nicki Sprague, and senior centerfielder Desiree Chavez each collected two hits in the opener, and junior catcher Madison Hernandez was one-for-two with two walks and two runs.

In the second game, the Cougars struck first, scoring a run without a hit in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman rightfielder Abry Moreno and Oviedo led off with walks, and Moreno later scored on a one-out wild pitch for an early 1-0 lead. However, Academy of Art exploded for eight runs in the top of the second, sending 12 batters to the plate for eight hits off two different Cougar pitchers in the frame.

Azusa Pacific scratched away at the lead, scoring one in the second inning on junior catcher Ally Wimer's one-out RBI single and adding another run in the third to cut the lead to 8-3. Academy of Art added an insurance run on Kamyle Glover's two-out RBI triple in the fifth inning, which the Cougars answered in the bottom of the seventh on Sprague's two-out RBI double to straightaway center.

Oviedo went two-for-three with a walk and two runs, finishing the day with four hits, and freshman shortstop Illiana Jimenez went three-for-three and scored a run in the second game to help lead Azusa Pacific's offense. Academy of Art was led by Glover and Elise Oldham, who registered at least two hits in both games of Saturday's doubleheader.

The sweep gives the Cougars a 1-3 start to PacWest play, dropping them to 7-8 overall, while Academy of Art improves to 6-3 overall, 3-1 PacWest. Azusa Pacific continues conference play with another four-game home series against Notre Dame de Namur Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28.