Box Score #1
Box Score #2
Moraga, CA --- The Academy of Art baseball team (2-19 overall, 2-10 in PacWest) wrapped up its five-game series with Hawaii Pacific (20-5 overall, 15-2 in PacWest), falling 6-5 and 7-2 at Louis Guisto Baseball Field on Saturday afternoon. AAU had numerous strong performances in the doubleheader and stayed right with the best team in the PacWest yet again. Sophomore third baseman Kenny Rollins, Jr. finished the day 2-for-4 with his first home run, two runs scored, two RBIs, and a pair of walks while sophomore righty Kallen Fletcher (0-0) made his first start as a pitcher for the Knights and threw 4.1 innings of three-hit ball, allowing just one run.
“Just like our series with Cal State Stanislaus at the beginning of the year, these games against Hawaii Pacific were a good indication of where we are as a team,” Head Coach Brian Guinn said. “We've definitely improved by leaps and bounds since then as well.”
By the third inning of game one, Hawaii Pacific had managed a 3-0 lead, but AAU jumped back into it with a two-run bottom third. A two-out rally began with freshman first baseman Andy Caniezo reaching on an error. Rollins, Jr. , the very next batter, then blasted a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence beyond the 350-foot mark.
“Kenny has been squaring up some balls lately and he definitely put a charge in that one that left the yard,” Coach Guinn said. “He's having solid at-bats and those are the kinds of good results that come.”
The 3-2 advantage for HPU held up until the fifth inning when Academy of Art triumphantly snatched the lead. Junior designated hitter Darnell Quinney got aboard with a walk and later came around to score on an error by the Sea Warriors' second baseman. Sophomore second baseman Jared DePatto then showed off his speed when he tripled to centerfield and plated another run for the Knights.
AAU took the 4-3 score into the sixth where Hawaii Pacific responded with a three-run rally that included a triple for two runs. In the seventh inning, Academy of Art had one final chance after being down 6-4. DePatto was on base with a fielder's choice and came home on a RBI single by senior right fielder Mike Gutierrez. Sophomore Alex Rosenthal was inserted as a pinch runner because he represented the tying run and while the Knights did get him to third base, HPU held on for the 6-5 win after getting the final out.
Freshman right-handed starter Drew Sullivan-Hames (1-5) threw the first two innings for Academy of Art, but he was lifted for Quinney (0-5) who wound up taking the loss. Quinney, however, had a strong outing with four runs allowed (three earned) on six hits with one strikeout over 5.0 innings.
“It was just a good baseball game with both teams battling it out,” Coach Guinn said.
The fifth and final game of the series came next, but it was not played as a Pacific West Conference contest. Fletcher was given the ball for the first time as a pitcher and he had an outstanding start. His first trip through the Hawaii Pacific batting order, Fletcher retired all nine batters with an efficient 31 pitches on five ground outs, three fly outs, and two foul outs. He took the perfect game into the fourth where he put away his tenth consecutive Sea Warrior before allowing a double.
Fletcher kept HPU scoreless through four innings and was then working with a lead after a two-run fourth for Academy of Art. In that rally, freshman shortstop Stefen Henderson walked and was brought home on a RBI double by Quinney. DePatto created a situation with runners at the corners by way of a single and Quinney would then score on a wild pitch.
In the fifth inning, the Sea Warriors got one run back on a sacrifice fly, but six more runs came across for HPU in the sixth and the scoreboard read 7-2 in favor of the visitors by the end.
Rollins, Jr. led the Urban Knights with his 2-for-3 game one that included the home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored. In the doubleheader, DePatto finished 3-for-6 with a triple, one RBI, and one run scored while Quinney was 2-for-6 with two runs scored and one RBI. On the mound, Fletcher received the no-decision in game two, but he pitched a stellar 4.1 innings with one run allowed on three hits.
“Kallen had some good sink to his pitches and the defense played well behind him,” Coach Guinn said. “He really came around and we're definitely going to use him more.”
Outfielder Jordan Inamasu had a solid day for Hawaii Pacific. He went 2-for-5 and scored two runs, but it was centerfielder Tyler Davis and right fielder Lester Akeo who combined for a 4-for-10 doubleheader with five RBIs, one run scored, and one stolen base. Righty Sergio Contreras (2-0) picked up the victory with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief while starting right-hander Chad Wagner (2-0) lasted 6.0 innings on the mound in game two, allowing two runs on three hits with four strikeouts.
With the conclusion of the Hawaii Pacific series, Academy of Art University will be off for two days before facing Cal State East Bay in a single game on Tuesday, Mar. 23 at Pioneer Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:00 PM.
