Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Photo Gallery (images by Christor Lukasiewicz, Austin McKeon, Tylar Springer, Lindsay Schutzman, Stephanie Arguello, Karl Muller, Meg Williams)

Oakland, CA -- A day after they got on the board early in both games of the Opening Day doubleheader,  the Academy of Art baseball team saw their offense get stymied by Dixie State pitcher Josh Mooney in the first game, won by Dixie 5-1. The second game was a pitcher's duel, with 2011 PacWest Freshman of the Year Wade Broadstreet going the distance but coming up short against three Red Storm pitchers who combined for a 2-1 victory to secure the sweep.

Yoshi Uemura became the fifth Urban Knights pitcher in three games to make his ART U debut, and the freshman looked a little hyped up to make throw his first college innings. Uemura (0-1) lasted five innings, but Dixie took advantage of seven walks and three wild pitches to put five runs on the board, while Mooney did the rest.

"Yoshi went out there as a freshman and threw the ball well," said head coach Brian Guinn. "He gave up four earned runs but they were all because of walks and I know he won't always do that. He did a good job out there for his first start."

Dixie State scored one run in each of the first three innings,  and added two more in the fifth to give them a five-run advantage. The rally in the fifth could've been a lot worse if not for a huge play at the plate by Uemura and catcher James Singzon. With the bases loaded and one run already in, Uemura lost a nine-pitch battle with Red Storm catcher Joe Andrade to force in another run. But with the next batter up, Singzon and Uemura showed some heads-up play and some home-field advantage on a wild pitch. ART U's home field at Laney College has a short backstop and has an artificial turf infield, which caused the wild pitch to ricochet right back to Singzon, who threw to Uemura covering the plate to tag out Yuto Kata trying to advance.

On the other side of the ball, Academy of Art struggle to get anything going against Mooney (1-0), who actually had a no-hitter through the seventh inning. Second baseman Zach Babitt broke up the no-no with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but was caught stealing to end any threat.

"Mooney kept us off balance for a lot of the game," Guinn said. "He used the breaking ball and he used it well. We've got to do a better job getting guys around and that will come as we see some more pitches."

Dixie threatened in the top of ninth against Spencer Roland, who finished the game with three solid scoreless innings for Academy of Art. Kata singled up the middle with one out and then stole second and third. Nathan Littlewood walked, and then his brother Tyson Littlewood also walked to load the bases. But Roland got Andrade, who had the big hit earlier, to tap one back to him for a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat.

The Urban Knights did break through in the bottom of the ninth for  a run against Mooney but it proved to be too little too late. With two outs, left-fielder Niko Leite tripled on a ball just out of reach of the right-fielder for Dixie State, and Babitt followed up with a single to right for his second hit of the day. But Mooney coaxed a first-pitch ground ball from Kenny Rollins, Jr. that found Kata at third for the final out of Game One.


Game Two started off well for the Knights as Broadstreet got out of the first only allowing a single. Both teams then went quietly but the Knights struck in the bottom of the second against Dixie starter Sam Friend. Kenny Rollins, Jr. battled his way on with a full-count walk, and stole second. Jared DePatto flied out, but Stefen Henderson came up with a clutch single that scored Rollins, advancing to second on the throw. Henderson stole third, but was out at home on the ensuing fielder's choice by Chris Holmes. Roland grounded out to end the threat, but the Urban Knights had the lead.

Dixie State would quickly answer against Broadstreet. The sophomore was solid in his first outing the year, facing four batters or less in six of the seven innings he pitched, but that one inning proved to be the difference in the game. In the top of the third, Ammon Zitting walked, followed by a single by Kata to put two on with none out. Garrett Nash popped out on a bunt attempt, but Yack had an infield single to load the bases. Cedric Johnson singled to score one run, and Broadstreet then struck out the cleanup batter Tyson Littlewood, but then a walk to Andrade gave the Red Storm all the runs they would need as they ended the inning leading 2-1. 

"We know what we've come to expect from Wade," Guinn said. "He'll be consistent. He'll be around the plate. He'll give up one or two runs and keep us in the game. He pitched great today." 

The Knights looked to capitalize in the bottom of the inning, as Robbins and Leite both singled to get two runners on with only one out and the middle of the order coming up. But a baserunning error on Leite allowed the Red Storm to double him up at first on a fly ball by Babitt to short left field, as he almost overran Robbins at second and was just too late in making it back to first base on the relay.

Broadstreet settled in after that, as he retired the next ten Dixie State hitters. The Knights got a couple runners on against the next Red Storm pitcher Stefan Cantwell (1-0), but he also struck out five Urban Knights on his way to the victory. Academy of Art got the tying run in scoring position against Daniel Zapata in the seventh, but the Red Storm closer punched out Chris Holmes to get his first save.