IRVINE, Calif. -- Chaminade, Biola and Academy of Art all won at least three PacWest games last week to strengthen their position in second place in their respective pods.
 
Academy of Art was the only one of those three schools to get its three wins against the first-place team in their pod. The Urban Knights took 3 of 4 against Dominican to even the season series. In the third game of the series, Academy of Art came back from a 3-1 deficit with a pair of home runs and along with a 2-RBI double by Alyssa Brundage to post six runs in two innings. Hannah Rose Balke threw a complete game without any earned runs allowed in her fourth win this season.
 
Biola passed Azusa Pacific in the SoCal pod standings by winning three of four games. After dropping the series opener, the Eagles won three low-scoring games in a row some timely hits by players like Abie Nowak who went 5 for 9 with three RBIs in the series. Biola is now 11-9 on the season equaling Concordia for the most overall wins after Concordia earned a doubleheader sweep against Redlands.
 
Chaminade earned a clean sweep against Hawai`i Pacific to move withing 1.5 games of first place in the Hawai`i Pod. The Silverswords got two wins from Madelyn Stockslager, who allowed just two runs in 15 innings pitched. She threw a nine-inning complete game with six strikeouts. Chaminade will play eight games in a row against Hawai`i Hilo in April as the two teams battle for the top spot in the pod.
 
Weekly awards for the week of March 22-28
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lauryn Henderson, Academy of Art
C, Jr., 5-9 -- Gilbert, Ariz.
Henderson had a conference-best nine hits and 16 total bases last week as she extended her hitting streak to six games. The junior is the third catcher from the NorCal pod in a row to win Player of the Week. Henderson led the Urban Knights to three wins against first-place Dominican. She was a home run away from the cycle in series finale as she went 4 for 4. Henderson hit a solo home run in the third game and drove in three runs in the second game of the series. Henderson went 9 for 15 on the week and is now batting . 405.
 
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Paige Austin, Biola
RHP, Jr., 5-5 -- Los Alamitos, Calif.
Austin earned her second Pitcher of the Week award as she continued to strike out batters at a high rate. In 14.2 innings pitched, Austin held opponents to just two runs as she struck out 23 batters with only one walk. Austin earned the win in both of her starts and now leads the conference with six wins this season. On Friday, Austin threw a one-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and only one walk allowed in 111 pitches. It was her second shutout this season with three or less hits allowed and 10 or more strikeouts recorded.
 
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Haley Randall, Academy of Art
INF, Fr., 5-6 -- Walnut Creek, Calif.
Randall went 8 for 15 last week with eight RBIs and five runs scored to help the Urban Knights win three of four games against Dominican and move within a game of first place in the pod. In the third game of the series, Randall blasted two home runs and reached base on a walk. She drove in four runs and scored three in that win. In the series opener, the freshman went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI. She is now batting .393 on the season with three home runs and 10 RBIs.