Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Phoenix, AZ -- The Academy of Art University baseball team played a pair of seven-inning games on Friday night against Grand Canyon, and although they showed their improved pitching staff, the offense stalled and the Knights dropped both games. Aaron Garabedian took the loss in the first game, which ART U lost 5-1, while Wade Broadstreet made his season debut and pitched very well until his final inning as the Knights lost the nightcap 5-0.

"Our hitters are just a little bit behind right now," said head coach Brian Guinn. "We're starting to see some live pitching consistently after a couple weeks off and we're getting there. I see the timing coming back in a lot of the hitters. We can't get frustrated. It's going to happen, but once that comes back, we're going to get our offense going."

The Urban Knights offense had its chances in the first game, starting when Lyle "Kalani" Brackenridge doubled in the first inning, but was stranded on third. Grand Canyon got their runner around in the first, as Steven Swingle singled in Seth Fretheim to give the Lopes a 1-0 lead. In the second, GCU had another threat, but Garabedian (0-3) induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

The Antelopes added two more in the third inning, both unearned runs, when Swingle and Derek Mendoza hit back to back singles to make it 3-0. After another run in the fourth, the Lopes had another chance but grounded into another double play, their second of the game, but still led 4-0.

The Knights got on the board in the fifth, as a Myles Babitt came into score on a wild pitch from GCU starter Andrew Naderer. But the Lopes added the run right back in their half when Brandon Smith singled in a run. Garabedian got Paul Panaccione to ground into the third double play of the game, but the damage was done, as the Knights couldn't get back and fell 5-1.


In the nightcap, it was a pitchers duel from the start. Junior Wade Broadstreet made his first start of the year and mowed down the Antelopes through the first few innings. After the Knights left Brackenridge in scoring position again in the top of the first, Broadstreet got around an infield single with ground ball to Tino Leite, who turned the double play himself to end the inning, the fourth of the day for the Knights.

"Our two middle guys are outstanding at turning double plays," said Guinn. "If there's one available, we've got a pretty good chance of turning them. It's just going to get better as the season goes on."

The Urban Knights right-hander got another twin killing in the second, and worked around a bases loaded jam in the fourth to keep the Lopes off the board and the game stayed scoreless. ART U had a chance in the top of the sixth, when Leite singled and then stole second, but on a single from Myles Babitt, Leite was thrown out at home.

Academy of Art's luck with pitching ran out in the bottom half of that inning, however, as the Knights seemed primed for another double play. But Derek Mendoza hit a double that drove in the first two runs of the game. Ryan Donahoe came in came in the for the Urban Knights, and the Antelopes used a hit and an error to score the deciding runs in the game. The Knights had two runners on in the top of the seventh, but were unable to get anything around against the Lopes pitching.

"Wade didn't have his best stuff but he had enough to keep guys off balance," said Guinn. "It was good to have him back in on the pitching staff. It's good to have him back in the lineup."

The Urban Knights and Antelopes will play the series finale tomorrow at 11:00 AM Pacific Time. After coming back from Phoenix, the Knights will start a home series against California Baptist on March 8.